Pulling the Strings
by sylversmith
Summary: A sinister presence that is linked to the Akatsuki begins to stir unrest in Suna. Shikamaru is chosen by both nations to lead a team to aid their allies. However, when their plan involves sending a certain Sand kunoichi into the heart of the enemy ranks, will both shinobi be able to reconcile their emotions before it's too late? ShikaTema Spoilers through Hidan/Kakuzu Arc
1. Whispers

A/N: First FF story here, so bear with me please as I work through the system! Any volunteers for beta reading would be great.

This story is intended to occur after Kakuzu/Hidan Arc, but before the Invasion of Pain arc. Will probably include an epilogue that will be following the 4th Shinobi War

Disclaimer: I am not Kishimoto, and as such, I did not create Naruto or any related characters. However, I did create Masahiro.

* * *

Whispers drifted through Suna.

There were no cries of revolution. No community tirades demanding change. After all, open conflict would never work to his favor. Just a quiet murmur of questions behind closed doors. Pensive frowns that lasted just a shade longer than before. Changes that wouldn't even be noticed if you weren't looking for them. No, he smiled, this wasn't a revolution, this was an _enlightenment_.

He thought back to the moment when he had reached his own enlightenment. The moment when he had seen _him_. The pale emissary from the Sound who slunk through Suna; completely out of place, and yet completely _right_ all at once. And then the foreigner suddenly stopped to turn and look him in the eye. He'd never forget that look. That moment when everything made sense.

He knew without even a word that this stranger had recognized the burning ambition he had inherited from his family. The ambition that had driven his father to train him in the shinobi ways in order to develop his own power separate from the ruling fist of the Kazekage. The ambition that turned to resolve when he received news of friends and strangers alike being killed at the hands of the demonic child their own leader had created.

When the man smiled back at him, Masahiro knew him in an instant to be an ally in his family's mission: to lead Suna to the peace and prosperity they so rightly deserved. Applying the abilities learned from his father, he began his own quest to uncover more about this man's presence. It took him a week to find the right voices to tell him how his idol had swayed the Kazekage to join the Sound. A few weeks later he allowed himself a moment of smug satisfaction when answers all the way from the land of the sound fell into his lap minutes after decisions were made. The satisfaction swelled to something bordering reverence after learning that Orochimaru-sama had pulled not just the demon spawn, but all three Sabaku children from the city. He saw it as a reward for his progress. He allowed himself to grow complacent in watching his lord's work, knowing that once the Leaf fell, Suna would bask in the prosperity of his rule.

He had not even believed the first signal back that the attack on the Leaf had failed.

Even now he occasionally fell into bouts of regret, wondering how things could have been different if he could have assisted his lord. How if he had trained and progressed faster, he could have acted as a part of that move. Alas, that was a time before he learned to do anything more than listen to the whispers. Before he learned to stretch his abilities even further and learned how not just to listen to the threads of information, but to pull them as well.

That came later, after finding and following the whisper that his lord had left him to lead him to the Akatsuki. When Masahiro learned later that his lord was still alive, he knew that he had purposefully led him to the Akatsuki to find his true sensei. The first man to follow the whispers and pull him out from the shadows. At first he believed his life forfeit to their power. After all, the whispers were a far cry from Zetsu's ability to spy and infiltrate enemy compounds, and they all knew it. However, both recognized the threat that his discovery presented. In the end, he used his sensei's abilities as an inspiration, and presented a new offering. One which they graciously accepted.

His new role in Akatsuki was the only anchor to his sanity when Suna betrayed him. Even now he barely stifled a growl of disgust how the village had not only brought back the Sabaku siblings with open arms but then chose the demon spawn as the new leader. All knew of the years of havoc, fear, and pain that _it_ had caused to the village. And now, they not only embraced it with open arms, but some even went so far as to feel remorse for it.

Even after the Akatsuki removal of the Ichbi, a dried out old woman had still managed to pull the spawn back from death and strengthen its corruption of his city.

But he was nothing if not patient. As a person who truly loved his people, Masahiro knew that it was his duty to save them all. The lack of interruption from Akatsuki and Orochimaru-sama only proved their blessing for his actions. It was then that _his _whispers began.

He lowered his head as he returned to the present, calming his emotions with this last last piece in his plan. Yes, his people were merely deceived by this evil and now it was his duty to free them from their ignorance. He smiled to himself and thanked Orochimaru-sama again for granting him the chance to pull the veil from their eyes. With that, Masahiro spoke his first words of the day: his first words of every day since his enemy's claws had started closing over the city.

"I pledge my past to Orochimaru-sama. I pledge my present to Akatsuki. I pledge my future to Suna. May we all bask in the light together."


	2. Windworn

A/N: Hello readers! Firstly, thank you so much Rarawir and samdawn87 for your reviews. I really appreciated the support as I pulled this next chapter together.

I'm going to wait until the end to go into too much detail, but suffice it to say that this chapter took a _lot_ of work to pull together. I'm trying to build some more on two of our main protagonists without putting them OOC. Please R&R so I can start to get a feel for what I'm doing right and wrong!

PS: I'm going to preemptively apologize for run on sentences. It's a habit that I'm trying to fix, but I know they're there

Disclaimer: The usual. I am not Kishimoto, but I did make Masahiro and now also Hideaki

* * *

_I will not break the merchant guild leader's neck... I will not break the merchant guild leader's neck... After all, I would just end up having to find a replacement anyway. Not to mention all that paperwork. But_ damn _if it isn't tempting._

Temari took advantage of the lull in conversation to indulge in her more and more frequent internal rants to calm her own frustrations while tugging down on the heavy robe that was currently gathered around her neck. _Whoever thought that it would be a good idea to wear this many layers in a stuffy council room deserves to go for a ride in a sandstorm_. As she signaled the man who was seated across from her to continue with his report, she began to understand what could drive the Hokage to the sake bars so often.

"Ah, yes. Thank you Temari-san. As you can see in the report, we are currently anticipating a shortage of silk, what with the continuation of the drought and all... so I figured that a lady such as yourself who has such refined tastes must..." The man fell silent as the door opened and he (as well as everyone else in the room) turned to watch the young Kazekage return to the meeting. It was only after turning back to the young woman to continue his report that he noticed the full flush on Temari's cheeks that had nothing to do with the current temperature of the room. The kunoichi wondered if her brother had felt the spike in her rage and purposefully interrupted the conversation before she could act on it

Temari-_san_? _Lady_?**(1)** _No, there is no way anyone can be that ignorant and still be alive. The man must have a death wish._ Judging by Kankuro's blatant smirk, and the varying reactions from the others around the table, she wasn't the only one to recognize the mistake. At least that meant that she could have some fun. A predatory smile slowly bloomed across her face before she caught the warning look from Gaara. _Okay... only a _little_ fun then..._

"While the silk shortage is _terribly_ alarming, I am sure that myself and the other _kunoichi_ can practice our ninjutsu just as easily using strips of cotton for targets. Unless of course you wish to volunteer as an alternate solution?" _Bullseye_ thought the wind user as he his face paled in fear at the reminder of her status as one of Suna's top shinobi and his recognition of her not-so-subtle threat. Though temporarily appeased with the man's agitation, she found herself disappointed in the brevity of the exchange. It had been far too long since her last real verbal spar. _Mental note; I need to hang out with Kankuro more._

Following her swift retort, the scribe recorded the decision to increase the cotton supply, and Gaara was again the target for the guild members "pressing" questions. _Thank Kami Gaara is back. I don't think I have another drop of patience left in me_ Temari thought fleetingly. _Dealing with these bakas is worse than working with that lazy ass on the Chuunin Exams. At least then I get to hit someone when I get frustrated. Baki definitely owes me a spar after this._

(A few months earlier)

All it had taken was one conversation with Kakashi for Temari's mind to pull it all together. As soon as she willed herself to remain in Suna and let the Konoha nins continue the hunt for the Akatsuki, Temari had accepted her mission. And Temari _never_ gave up on a mission. It had taken her less than 15 minutes to find Baki and explain her logic...

_"Excuse me, Temari-kohai? You want me to what?"_

_"Listen, Baki-senpai. There isn't much time. I need you to act as the proxy Kazekage in Gaara's absence. There needs to be someone in charge who has the respect and trust of both the shinobi and the council to restore the village's defenses. You. The council can't afford to lose control of the shinobi right now, so they'll respect your authority." The corner of her mouth slowly turned to a small smirk "Not to mention that I trust _you_ to keep _them_ in line. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if they try to move Kankuro and me out of the city to prevent us from using our combined political influence to start a 'coup' or some other senseless power play. With Kankuro bedridden while recovering, it means that it's up to me to play to obedient pet kunoichi... for now." She paused for a second when she small a slight twinkle in his eyes. Was that?... no, it couldn't be. Baki was never amused._

_She continued. "What's most critical from your perspective will be the conversations with foreign diplomats. The attack on Suna is going to attract a lot of political attention from the other villages. There's no use in hiding the obvious signs of destruction, but we can use that to our advantage. If asked, we explain that Gaara is indisposed because he is in the process of preparing and leading a counterattack against the assailants. Any further questions would cross the lines of "casual concern" and belie suspicious intent. Furthermore, if we keep the true nature of Gaara's absence a secret, and a diplomat starts asking about an 'abduction' or 'kidnapping', we would know that that particular village was infiltrated by the Akatsuki or even... wait, why are you smiling at me?... You already figured it out, didn't you?"_

_Baki chuckled. "As I'm sure you've learned yourself, a sensei never fails to feel a sense of pride when seeing his or her student progress. I see that you're starting to think a few more moves ahead. Still trying to one-up that Konoha shadow user, eh?"_

_Temari suddenly found something on the ground_ immensely_ interesting while muttering to herself. Baki only heard the words "Shougi" and "never won a game" before her head turned back to look him in the eyes, her face serious again. "Also, about Kankuro..."_

_He nodded once in agreement "Temari-kohai, you can trust me to keep an eye on him and keep him safe. From both himself and others. And", he continued before she could say anything, "I'll make sure that he keeps you involved in any future 'coups'. Remember that I was his sensei as well."_

_Knowing that her brother would be taken care of, Temari allowed herself a brief smile in response. "Thanks Baki-senpai. I owe you one"..._

(End Time Skip)

Back in the receiving hall, Temari suppressed a small sigh. _I thought that I had already learned from Kankuro that offering favors is never a good idea._

Not to say that Baki didn't deliver on his word. He had even managed to distract the council from noticing Temari's sudden 'transfer' from border patrol while she and Kankuro pulled a small army of shinobi to retrieve their little brother. As soon as Gaara opened his eyes, Temari had known that it was all worth it.

That relief, however, was mildly tempered by the nagging uncertainty surrounding the side effects of the demon's exorcism. After returning to Suna, she had petitioned the council to wait until Gaara had readjusted to the changes in his body before transferring the more time intensive (and less critical) responsibilities of the Kazekage back onto his shoulders. After a few meetings, and one note from the proxy Kazekage naming her the "ideal candidate" for such a position, Temari was trapped. Lucky for her Gaara had only needed a few months to adjust.

As it became apparent that she would no longer be pulled into the discussions, Temari slowly let her body and mind relax...

_...She was huddled in a dank cave with three other shinobi as the sandstorm roared outside. The wind currents outside in apparent harmony with her own mind. She wanted to launch herself into the turmoil and fight the gusts with her last strength... as if conquering the storm into submission would as easily quiet the storm in her chest and bring him back... bring back those quiet, haunted eyes..._

A second later, she was back in the council's receiving hall as the various business leads continued to ramble through their various reports. _Damn_, she thought, while willing her now tensed muscles to loosen. _That was the third time today_. Even as she slowly suppressed her physical reactions to the mental onslaught, neither her attention to her surroundings nor her neutral expression wavered for a second. After all, she was a _shinobi_ for Kami's sake, and a good shinobi _never_ let emotions steer her actions. However, as the lingering feeling of despair slowly settled in her stomach like a dog curling before a fire, Temari felt the all too familiar question bubble up in her mind. _Why the hell does this keep happening to me?_

* * *

"Kazekage-sama, you have to understand... the route into Suna is much more perilous this time of year. There have been more sandstorms, more water shortages, and we've seen an increase in the number of bandit raids... I'm just worried that the shinobi protection rates might start to discourage merchants from making the trip at all. Don't you agree?"

Kankuro found himself barely smothering his snort at the man's poor attempt at haggling before the Kazekage answered with his polite, yet firm, rejection. _What a baka... even if Gaara and the other council members didn't_ pour _over the financial reports of the various guilds before setting the shinobi mission rates, there is no way that the merchants would stop visiting the only trade city connected with the western clans. First he baits Temari, and now he's trying to bluff against Gaara... the man really is a whole new level of dense. I'm starting to wonder if the merchants purposefully elected him just to spite us. Either that or they expect us to kill him. Although, at this rate, I could probably dispatch him_ and _finish the spider's web of paperwork and political red tape before he even finishes his damn report._

As if he could hear the puppet nin's mental threats, the man mumbled a clumsy attempt at flattery before excusing himself from the open seat at the council table. Kankuro took note of the time and happily realized that after the results of the report were recorded and the final guild presented, there should still enough daylight for a quick spar. And it had been _so_ long since the last time he and his _dearest_ elder sister had had some proper bonding time. Smirking to himself, he glanced across the table at Temari just in time to see the briefest glimmer of emotion shoot across her face before disappearing in the depths of her eyes. His smirk slipped for a second until he realized that she was now looking right back at him, her eyebrow arched in a silent challenge. Seeming to say,_ "What are you looking at, blockhead?"_

_That emotion... was that?... no. Temari is _never_ afraid._

Quick to answer her unspoken taunt, he leaned back and crossed his arms as his lopsided smirk came back full force; "_Wanna train later?"_

Her confident grin said it all. _"If you think you can take me."_

Satisfied in the results of their silent bickering, Kankuro let go of the small knot of concern. Knowing Temari, he was going to need all the energy he could muster.

Gaara's voice echoed through the room, "Hideaki-san, please present your report to the council." A tall, lithe man stepped forward dressed in the traditional guild master robes in a pale blue color to signify the guild of the peacekeepers. His black hair and beard, while peppered with gray, were well kept and brought out the spark of intelligence in the man's gray eyes. Despite his commanding presence, Kankuro knew him to be the most verbally conservative of the guild leaders. Temari liked to call him efficient. Kankuro liked to call him a mute.

"Kazekage-sama, all necessary details are presented in my written report. I have no further concerns to submit to the council"

"Thank you, Hideaki-san, your report is acknowledged." As the record keeper closed the meeting, Kankuro casually pushed back from the table and shot up from his chair in a full body stretch before idly conversing with a few of the surrounding council members. Glancing across the table, he noticed that his sister had already left for the Kazekage's office. _Damn_ he thought. _I guess we'll have to postpone our sparring session after all. Might as well go see what the mute considered to be too important to present to the full council._

* * *

**(1)** I'm definitely an amateur when it comes to Japanese honorifics, but I know that Temari would be a stickler for manners, _especially_ in a public setting like a council meeting. By disregarding her status as the leader of the meeting (addressing her with -san which is used for someone who is your peer rather than your leader) AND regarding her as a lady instead of a kunoichi, I'd imagine that it would be similar to you going to your boss or teacher and saying "Yo! What up?"

Now, as I mentioned up top, this chapter was a pain in the butt. Believe it or not, I originally had about three more pages worth of introspection from Temari before getting fed up with it. After all, the entire point of her character is her lack of patience with such nonsense.

I also hope that you all appreciated my attempt to build on her own character development. Knowing that *SPOILER* she goes on to accompany Gaara at the 5 kage summit, I wanted to build her political prowess and her capabilities as a strategist so her 'competition' to Shikamaru makes a little more sense.

But enough from me. If you want some more explanation, feel free to PM!

As an update, I already have a pretty good part of Chapter 3 put together, so fingers crossed I find some more free time in the coming days!


	3. A Shinobi's Intuition

A/N: Hello again readers! Thank you to those who have made it this far. Another big thank you to samdawn87. Your reviews make a huge difference to my motivation!

General chapter summary: this time we're shifting back East and we learn more about the issues in Suna and what Masahiro's been up to... not to mention some light banter with Shika and Ino (I see them as a brother/sister kind of relationship, which makes it _so_ much fun to put together!)

Disclaimer: Characters and setting are not mine. This particular story, Masahiro, and Hideaki are.

* * *

"Mendokuse..."

The young blonde kunoichi currently dragging him down the sidewalk didn't even blink in response.

"I swear, Shikamaru. If you even _think_ about messing this up, I'm going to..." her sentence momentarily trailed off and her pace slowed while she thought of a suitable punishment. The young shadow nin took the moment to relax as her grip on his wrist became less insistent. Until she grinned. That wasn't good. "... I'm going to tell your mom that you were smoking."

He nearly tripped over his own feet. "Ino! You can't do that. She'll kill me"

Knowing that she had him cornered, her smirk relaxed and she let go of his arm. After all, she knew that she no longer had to worry that he might try to sneak away. "Don't worry, if everything goes well, I'm sure that I'll be so happy that I'll just forget all about your short-term hobby", she once again lengthened her stride.

Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets and started thinking hard on the situation while trying to keep up with the chipper blonde in front of him. A few moments later, he let out a sigh of resignation. Any attempt to get out of the whole thing would be more troublesome than it was worth. "Why me, again?"

She looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at him dangerously before speaking. "Well it certainly isn't because of your charming personality. Hinata and Tenten are sparring, Kiba and Shino are off on a hike somewhere, Lee is on another training marathon with Gai-sensei, and Neji didn't even let me finish explaining before 'politely declining'." She crossed her arms in frustration, this time looking up at the sky. "Of course, one of the first times that I actually want to go to the ramen stand, and Chouji is busy. I mean, really, the Akimichi must be the only clan in the _world_ that could turn an eating competition into a week long event." Her expression slowly softened into a small smile, "Although, considering last week... he definitely deserves it."

Shikamaru smiled and nodded his agreement. Following the death of their beloved sensei only two weeks prior, each of the members of 'Team Ten' had fallen into their own form of depression. Although they gained a small measure of peace by exacting their revenge against the two men responsible, it had only delayed their inevitable despair. Without the brief surge of motivation that had led to Hidan's destruction, Shikamaru's mind became his worst enemy. He began to recall, with painful clarity, every moment he had wasted with Asuma; taking his presence, his _life_, for granted.

He cried. He spent hours in a semi-conscious state yearning for the memories to stop, while secretly wishing they would never end; that he could forget about the rest of the world and just remain wrapped in his recollections of 'once was'.

Once his memories of Asuma began replaying for the 73rd time, he suddenly found himself immersed in a different memory; a memory from the last time he had felt so completely helpless in mind, body, and soul. He remembered seeing Neji in a pool of his own blood. He remembered finding Kiba and Akamaru curled around one another in physical and emotional anguish. He remembered the sight of Chouji, his best friend, collapsed on the ground as his body consumed itself from the inside out. And after it all, when he had been ready to give up, he remembered those piercing eyes. Her words as she challenged him and baited him; offering herself as a target for his pent up emotion. He remembered the pain he saw reflected on her face for the first and only time of his life as he walked away from her, determined to hold on to his self-loathing; refusing to forgive himself for his failure... and after it all, he remembered his 'ninja way'; his promise to better himself until he couldn't fail. Not for himself, but for those that depended on him to do what they could not.

The memory faded, but it left a single spark behind. _"Others need me..."_

That spark wasn't enough to completely break his depression, but for the first time, his mind was thinking towards the future rather than the past. For the first time in days he felt something _right_ about his actions, and he left the darkness in search of any form of answers. With his mind still reeling, he wandered to his favorite cloud watching spot and found his best friend seated on the ground with tear-stained cheeks doing the last thing that Shikamaru would have imagined; he was smiling.

_"Chouji?"_

_"Hey Shikamaru."_

_"What are you doing?"_

_"Well, I was just thinking to myself how Asuma used to tell me that I had to lose weight and diet all the time. Even when... even when he died. But then, whenever we ever celebrated anything as a team, we would always go to my favorite restaurant and he would always pay for our meal. It's the same with Ino. She told me that whenever she got into a fight with Sakura, Asuma would somehow find her and before she knew it, she was teaching him about flowers and clothing styles so that he could impress his 'secret' girlfriend. And even though you were never interested in doing much more than sitting around outside, didn't you mention that he was the first one to accept you for the lazy-genius ninja that you were and find new ways to keep you interested?"_

_"Well yeah..."_

_"Well, when you think about it, the whole time, Asuma wasn't teaching us how to be ninjas or how to succeed or any of that. He may have taught us how to fight, but that has never really been what made us strong. I never became any faster by eating more barbeque, Ino never became stronger by talking about flowers and clothing, and you didn't become any more motivated by learning Shogi. No, he was teaching us about ourselves, about our own passions, our desires... he taught us how to live. And he loved us for it."_

_"But I... I just wish that he was here"_

_"But that's just it; that's why I was smiling... even now he's teaching us to appreciate everything we have in life; we have passions, our friends, our family, the village, each other... as long as we remember what he was really teaching us... he'll always be here."_

After that day, Chouji transformed. He had found his strength in his resolve, and rededicated himself to his passions in life. The previously forgotten clan competition became an endless topic for discussion, and despite his audience's apparent disinterest, his enthusiasm never dampened for a second. Watching and listening to Chouji describe the full itinerary (or in this case, menu) for the epic clan 'meal' had been a surprising source of comfort and healing for his two teammates; the childlike anticipation acting as an emotional balm to their freshly wounded hearts. Shikamaru instinctively knew that his and his teammates' lives had been irrevocably shattered, but he also began to recognize that, one by one, they had begun to put the pieces back together. Even if they weren't all in the same places. As if to prove this conviction, his hand lightly grasped the small letter that he had started to store in his pocket as he smiled. _No, it will never be the same as it was before, but that doesn't mean that it can't still be beautiful. Now, I wonder if Ino's temper has softened at all..._

"You know Ino, I think that Sai is such an independent and strong person that he would really respect and admire a girl who-"

Shikamaru watched the tender smile fall from her face as her eyes narrowed dangerously in his direction. _Hmm... guess that that's a 'no' to the temper thing_. "Shika, didn't I tell you to not even _think_ about it? Besides, what are you complaining about? I bet that if I hadn't come along, you'd be laying out on a hill somewhere trying to hide from your academy students"

Shikamaru just looked at her incredulously. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"But this is so much better! You see, this way we both win! I get to talk with Sai, and you get to go to Ichiraku's and celebrate Naruto's recovery with him and Sakura!" At his skeptical look at her version of him 'winning' she continued, "...and you get to live to see another day."

As the pair drew closer to the ramen stand, Shikamaru again sighed as he re-accepted his fate. However, a quick peek at his teammate showed that her anger had again faded upon his 'surrender' in favor for a familiar look of eager anticipation. _Well, it may not be quite as painless as listening to Chouji talk about food, but then again, if it were, she wouldn't be Ino. And who knows? Maybe if I'm lucky, Naruto and Sakura will be able to go five minutes without trying to kill each other and we can actually have a pleasant lunch for once..._

Apparently he needn't have worried. Only a block away from Ichiraku's, an ANBU agent suddenly appeared before them.

"Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino. You are to report to the Hokage's office immediately."

"But!-" Ino didn't get the chance to finish her retort before the agent disappeared.

Shikamaru furtively glanced at his blonde teammate for the telltale signs of disappointment, but was surprised when instead she turned to face him directly, her expression one of blatant suspicion. His surprise quickly changed to anxiety.

"Ino, I swear, I had nothing to do with this..."

* * *

By the time Shikamaru finally convinced Ino not to report his temporary smoking habit to his mother, Shizune was ushering the pair into the office of the Hokage before quietly shutting the door behind them. Shikamaru's mind started racing as soon as he noticed the other two shinobi standing before Tsunade's desk and the absence of the sake bottles that usually littered her office. After all, it wasn't often that he and Ino were teamed up with Neji and Tenten, and the Hokage usually only abstained from alcohol when dealing with politically sensitive situations...

"It's Suna, isn't it?"

She smirked at him over the table. "You certainly don't miss much, do you? Before I elaborate on the details, Shikamaru, Ino, I need you to either confirm or deny your abilities at this time. This will be classed as an A-rank mission, and as it has only been a week and a half since you defeated Hidan and Kakuzu, I would completely understand if-"

"I'm ready, but I will have some conditions if I will be gone long" Everyone looked at him sharply. He didn't usually cut off others when they were speaking; after all, they usually just ended up getting angry and finishing their thoughts anyway. Troublesome. However, this was not the usual situation. Her sobriety... the interruption to his and Ino's 'mandatory' mission break... and now she was actually _dodging_ the mission presentation... no, this was critical.

_And... she mentioned Suna..._

As his shoulders slumped and his hands fell back into his pockets, he subconsciously held the folded paper that he had left there.

Tsunade's eyes bored into his, as if testing the weight of his resolve, before giving him a slight nod and looking to Ino. The young blonde kunoichi looked away from her superior, her eyes momentarily clouded with uncertainty as she weighed her own conviction. However, when she again met Tsunade's gaze, her eyes were clear and sure. She nodded in response.

"Very well. For the past month, the Sunan peacekeepers have been investigating rumors of a new terrorist organization planning a coup against the fifth Kazekage. However, after two full weeks they only managed to uncover more rumors, and a possible lead on the name 'Sasayaku'. Per usual protocol, the matter was immediately escalated to the Kazekage, who issued an ANBU team to gather more information. A week ago, the team failed to deliver their scheduled report and have not been heard from since" She paused before continuing.

"Four days ago, one of our own black ops teams followed a potential lead on the Akatsuki until it ended at the border between Konoha and Suna in an abandoned cavern with the remains of an eight point dragon seal at the entrance. When the team's initial examination of the site proved inconclusive, I requested one of the Aburame's most accomplished chakra sensors to perform a full chakra sweep **(1)** of the cavern and send me her findings. I won't go into too many details, but the results have led us to believe that approximately three years ago, this cavern was used as an Akatsuki 'recruitment center' where nearly one hundred shinobi battled during the course of an entire year for an opportunity to join the organization. Only one of the chakra signatures ever left the cave before a foreign signature placed the seal. When compared to our analyses of known Akatsuki members, the Aburame confirmed that that survivor was Hidan and the sealer was Kakuzu. Following their departure, the cavern lay dormant... until eight days ago. Until five chakra signatures entered the cave and ended in a chakra flare destructive enough to wipe out all physical remains of the five shinobi. While the chakra signature that triggered the flare is still unknown, the other four match those of the missing Sunan ANBU."

Shikamaru and the other shinobi looked right back at her as they began to understand the implications of this information. "I am sure that I don't need to explain the gravity of the current situation. The circumstances surrounding the deaths of the ANBU operatives have created a tangible, albeit tenuous, link between this Sasayaku organization and the Akatsuki. Based on the threat that the Akatsuki pose to both nations and our unparalleled success against their other attacks, I offered our services to assist The Sunan internal investigation, and the Kazekage accepted." At this point the Hokage took a deep breath, as if saying the next words would be akin to trying to move a mountain. "Tenten, you look like you want to say something?"

Tenten stepped forward almost hesitantly, but as she looked into Tsunade's eyes, her shoulders straightened and her chin stuck out in a slight show of defiance. "Tsunade-sama, I know that we all have been involved in successful missions against Akatsuki teams, and I appreciate your faith in our abilities, but wouldn't this mission be better suited for ANBU or a more experienced Jounin like Kakashi-sensei or Yamato?"

"Undoubtedly." At her response, Tenten's eyes widened slightly with shock. She obviously had not expected the blunt response.

_I guess she hasn't seen Tsunade interact with Naruto nor Jiraiya before,_ Shikamaru mused to himself.

The Hokage continued. "As you said, the mission is incredibly complex and difficult. But in this situation, the perfect team is more than just the most skillful or the most experienced shinobi. Bluntly speaking, we are severely constrained by the current political turmoil in Suna. The Kazekage can not afford to lose the respect of his village, and if word spread that Leaf ANBU or the notorious 'Copy Ninja' were investigating the Sunan people, it could severely weaken his political standing. Remember that, more than anything, you four were carefully selected for the combination of your skills, your personalities, and experiences with both the Akatsuki and Sunan culture. If you still doubt my faith, then know that the Kazekage has also agreed to the mission roster."

Her question answered, Tenten stammered her thanks for the unsuspected praise before stepping back in line with her new teammates. While Tsunade paused for any further questions, Shikamaru suddenly blinked as he pieced together the implications of her final words.

_She already knew that Ino and I would agree to the mission before even asking us... this could get troublesome_

As if she had read something from his thoughts reflected on his face, she suddenly turned to look in his direction. "Shikamaru." He stepped forward. "As the shinobi with the most experience with both Suna and the Akatsuki, you have been chosen as the mission leader. Your primary objective is the investigation and the suppression of the terrorist organization Sasayaku. Your secondary objective is to report all information pertaining to Akatsuki activity or involvement to myself and the Kazekage as soon as possible. In one hour, you and your team will depart for Suna where you will meet with the Kazekage who will give you information pertaining to your living arrangements. From that point forward, you will report directly to the Kazekage until the terms of your contract are satisfied."

For the first time during the mission debrief, Shikamaru began to worry, and he heard Ino vocalize the same concerns. "'Until the terms...' but that could be a long time"

"Yes. Now, as you only have one hour to prepare, you are dismissed. Shikamaru, if you wait a moment, we can discuss your 'conditions'."

He waited by the desk while his teammates left, his mind simultaneously creating a packing list while thinking through what he needed to say. As soon as the door 'clicked' shut, he started "I will need regular updates on Kurenai's condition, and I _will_ be back for when she delivers."

"Hn. Well then, as the team leader, you should be in a position to have the most control over the mission progress, shouldn't you?"

His lips pulled into a tight line. "You know what I mean. I am not defying your will, but I made a promise to watch over her and Asuma's child. That is _not_ a promise that I can break."

Her eyes again narrowed while considering him before she nodded. "Very well. We will grant you full use of one of our messenger hawks for consistent communication, and in the case that the mission extends past her eighth month, your team will be given full leave for the duration of the delivery. Anything more you will have to take up with Gaara and Temari."

"Tem... Temari?"

"Oh, yes. I forgot to mention, didn't I?" Even while speaking, a devilish light seemed to grow in her eyes. "Temari will be the lead Jounin for the Sunan shinobi squad."

Shikamaru worriedly considered this new piece of information as he felt a familiar churn in his stomach. The same churn that he first experienced when reliving his memory of her words from three years ago. The same churn that he had felt in his stomach when he had received the letter that now rested in his pocket. He pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. That churn was already making it hard to concentrate. "This is going to be troublesome."

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to omit the details of your reaction when I report your departure to Gaara." Before he could respond, her voice darkened. "Shikamaru. I wanted to keep you here to explain that there is another term to this contract. Gaara and I agreed that if there is any sign that your objectives will bring you into direct contact with a member of Akatsuki, you are to cease all activities immediately, regardless of the situation You will then report the incident and wait for reinforcements. We may have succeeded in all of our confrontations with the Akatsuki, but each time has resulted in a loss of life. You were chosen, specifically, as mission lead because we trust you to make the decisions to not only succeed, but to retreat if you feel outmatched. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now, you may want to get going soon before your mother comes to my office looking for you again. And Shikamaru?" She interrupted his hasty retreat before he could open the door. This time, her expression was set in a simple, warm smile. "Kurenai is waiting for you in the lobby. I informed her that you would want to speak to her soon."

"Thank you Tsunade-sama." As he quickly left the office, Shikamaru let a small, genuine smile trace his own lips.

* * *

He watched the man kneel before him with a blank expression on his face.

The man had proven useful, even if he had originally resisted the truth in Masahiro's whispers. His mind had been clouded by the demon's influence and had been slow to accept the light.

"My lord, the leaf have accepted the mission."

Masahiro finally smiled down at the man, letting him believe that he was smiling at his 'news'. He had of course already known that his trap had been sprung.

It had been a moment of brilliance to turn the tables on his 'would be' hunters, the ANBU pawns sent to find him in the shadows. He already knew that their minds belonged to the demon, but he let their sacrifice lead to further opportunity. Not only would he free his city, but at the same time he would avenge his lord and sensei.

"Yes, Hideaki-san. Now the game can truly begin."

* * *

**(1): **The 'eight point dragon seal' is a term I made up, but would be similar to the seal that Deidara used in the anime. Specifically in the sense that it would have failed after Kakuzu's death. Also, the concept of the Aburame 'chakra sensing' was something that I created as well. I figured that it would be similar to using bugs to pick up on chakra that had been implanted into a spot when a shinobi released the attack. This would tell the 'who' and the 'when' for a chakra release.

Holy buttmuncher that chapter was longer than I had thought it would be, but I hope that you all enjoyed! I'm going to be honest; I have not even started the next chapter yet, and I have to catch up on a ton of work over the next couple of days, so it will probably be at least another week until the next update. And don't worry, you'll find out what the letter says... eventually. Please keep R&R-ing!

PS: Sorry for the plethora of semicolons. I have _no_ idea where that came from.


	4. Assumptions and Summations

**AN:** I am SO sorry to disappear from you all for so long! The good news is that I did NOT forget about the story, or even push it aside. I just ended up grappling with this chapter for a very, very, VERY long time. The bad news is that I found that, as a perfectionist engineer, my mind is not very conducive to pulling a story like this together without about 1,000 proofreads and edits. Not to mention that I have found that I am _very_ susceptible to writer's block and spent many a night intending to write more and instead just ended up sitting at my desk with an inane urge to pull my hair out.

Abridged version: I hope that you all enjoy my very first original ShikaTema interaction (in all honesty, that was the easiest portion to write. Two months to write, edit, rewrite, delete, and finalize the first two sections... one week to write and finish the third.) and that the rest flows a little more smoothly from here.

Big thank you to Samdawn87, LadyTemari (don't think I forgot about your help with the suffixes! I hope that they all pass inspection!), and, recently, Mrs. Shikamaru Nara. Your reviews have all been a great source of motivation while I've been trying to grind through this!

Oh, and the usual. Kishimoto made all this possible. I'm just piggy backing on him and throwing in my own storyline

* * *

"Kamaitachi no Jutsu!" (Sickle Weasel Technique)

"Suna no Tate" (Shield of Sand)

Knowing her wind attack would not be enough to break through her brother's defense, Temari let her body weight carry through the swing of her tessen. At the last second, she launched herself into the air as an arm of sand appeared in the spot that she had just been standing.

_Hm... Gaara's getting better at initiating attacks while using his sand defense. I suppose that it's a good thing then that Kankuro and I have been practicing a bit too..._

Twisting through the air, she noticed that he had already analyzed her trajectory and formed another sand arm in the spot she was about to land. Using the last of her body's momentum, her arms tugged her tessen across her body, releasing a chakra powered gust into the ground.

The backlash from the attack pushed Temari back into the air, angling her towards the towering wall of sandrock only ten meters behind her brother. Collecting chakra into her feet, she momentarily perched on the wall before launching herself towards her brother below her. Gaara turned to watch her with mild confusion on his face, knowing that she wouldn't be foolish enough to believe her tessen could break through his sand shield...

...until Kankuro pulled his chakra threads.

In an instant, the younger redhead and his gourd were bound from foot to bicep in the loops of chakra thread that Sanshouo, Sasori, Kuroari, and Karasu had been stealthily laying in the sand while Temari had been busy distracting him from above. Although the force pulled Kankuro out from his hiding spot, the cocoon-like bindings restrained most of their younger brother's sand defense. Catching a rare look of surprise cross Gaara's face, the kunoichi sent him one of her own smirks a split-second before her folded tessen came down on his exposed shoulder.

She felt the jolt all the way through her body despite using her chakra to absorb most of the impact. _Chakra or not, I'm definitely going to feel that tomorrow._ Her smirk, however, was unfazed. It was a rare victory to get past her brother's shield, even if he was still protected from any serious injury by the additional layer of sand over his skin. However, all feelings of triumph disintegrated along with her brother's form.

"Sand clone!"

Anticipating Gaara's next attack, she turned to look towards Kankuro in time to see a wave of sand take shape above the unprotected puppet nin.

_But where is..._

A slight pressure of sharpened sandstone pricked the back of her neck

"Almost, oneesan" Despite the situation, Temari felt a momentary rush of affection at hearing the casual reference to their relationship and the slight humor in his voice. _It's hard to believe that two months ago he couldn't even train with us without being charged with bloodlust, but now..._ Recovering her composure, the confident smirk returned to her lips.

She looked into the eyes of her eldest brother and gave him a barely perceptible nod a moment before the mountain of sand toppled down on him. "Don't think that you can take us that easy, otouto"

About twenty meters from where Temari stood incapacitated by their youngest brother, 'Kuroari' began to move, the sand attack breaking the henge Kankuro had set to mask his actual form. With sand pouring down his shoulders, the puppet master threw out his left hand, fingers flicking in varied motions and Karasu re-emerged behind Gaara. Another series of hand movements and the puppet released a volley of spring loaded kunai from its mouth and re-activated Gaara's shield. At the same time, 'Temari' disappeared in a puff of smoke, to be replaced by a scrap of sandstone from the rockface above. Emerging from her cover on a hidden ledge in the rock wall, she brought out a summoning scroll perched on her back.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Gou Taki!" (Summoning Jutsu: Torrential Waterfall) (AN: This is not a true summons)

A burst of water broke forth from the scroll to overwhelm her brother's sand defenses; breaking down the composition until it was reduced to a muddy mess. From her vantage point, Temari saw Gaara's face again break into that look of surprise. _Two times in one training session: it really has been a long time since our last spar._

Kankuro's right hand thrust forward as chakra threads sped through the air to latch onto portions of Gaara's now exposed skin. Forming a fist, he pulled back and yanked their brother back towards him while his left hand pulled a kunai from his satchel.

"Time!" Baki suddenly walked towards the isolated training ground from the direction of the office of the Kazekage. Temari leapt down from her perch on the wall while Kankuro looked into Gaara's eyes before shrugging and putting back his kunai. Temari felt her muscles shake slightly from fatigue, and was gratified to see that both of her brothers were showing similar signs of exertion. _Two hours of taijutsu training followed by a no hold sparring session... not too bad._

Gaara turned slowly to regard his older brother before speaking, somehow retaining his calm demeanor despite the water still dripping from his body. "I knew that you had made modifications to your puppets during the rebuild, but your control of chakra threads was also a bit different. Human puppetry?"

Kankuro grinned in response to the observation. "Liked that, huh? I've been talking with Ebizo-jiisan and reading through Chiyo-baachan's old research notes and records. You wouldn't believe the information they have in that place! I even found a scroll talking about some mechanisms-"

Temari quickly returned her tessen to the harness on her back while taking note of the far-off look in her brother's eyes and the way that his mouth was cocked in an actual smile as opposed to his usual sarcastic grin. _That boyish demeanor almost makes you forget that he's talking about various poison recipes and mechanized dolls..._

"-if I use a blood thickening agent, I can draw out the pain from the Kurohigi Kiki Ippatsu (Black Secret Technique Machine One Shot) and apply it as an interrogation tool-"

_...almost._ "Oi, Kankuro, maybe we should focus less on gory death traps, and more on getting to the village reservoir for the presentation of the water scrolls?"

His eyes suddenly refocused as her firm tone snapped his attention back to the present. "Heh, whatever. No need to get snappy. Just because my training sessions with ojiisan interrupt your shougi games and strategy talks doesn't mean you have to be a stick in the sand about it." She leveled a steely stare at him before he continued. "Ugh, hai, hai. Don't know why you're this worked up about it anyway." He said while rolling his eyes at her. "I thought that you hated these things."

She sighed. She did hate playing the part of the illustrious dignitary, but she had accepted long ago that just because something was unpleasant didn't mean that it was also unimportant. Her role as a public figure in the village was probably one of the most dangerous tools in her arsenal as a Sunan nin; her words carrying more power than her tessen ever could. Not to mention that it guaranteed that she would almost always be able to stay by Gaara's side. She simply learned to accept that, despite her choice to become a Sunan diplomat part time and her natural affinity for the work, she would never have the patience to pursue a life in politics. Not that she was willing to admit to such.

"Hate is such a strong word, blockhead. Who's to say that I can't have a change of heart every now and again?" His audible scoff conveyed his sentiments better than any words. "Besides, I want the chance to familiarize myself with the ANBU vantage points before everyone starts congregating." She shot a mildly apologetic look towards Baki. "Not that I don't trust your or the ANBU's judgement, Baki-senpai."

To everyone's surprise, it was her younger brother who responded. "Speaking of the water scrolls, Temari, would you reseal the water you released during our spar?"

"Of course." Temari blushed in embarrassment at her carelessness as she turned and walked back over to small, wet crater they had left in the sand. Pulling out the now blank sealing scroll, she knelt down in order to start re-binding the spreading moisture.

Although the water supply in Suna was never 'plentiful', the rains had been even more reduced than usual, pushing the city to its limit. Since all Sunan shinobi were trained in basic water sealing jutsu to use as emergency drinking water, they had started sealing larger volumes while on missions in other nations to help alleviate the crisis. Over the course of the drought, the process of depositing these water stores into the village reservoirs had evolved from a minor, informal task to be handled by genin teams into a weekly public event, featuring the Kazekage himself. _ 'An offering symbolizing the bonded fates of the shinobi and the village, of the Kazekage and the people he's sworn to protect and serve...'_ Temari recited the words that Gaara had spoken during the first 'official' event four weeks ago. _At least during these things I am only acting as a representative of the kunoichi and I don't have to make myself smile or anything. Just- what was it that Baki said? Oh, right- 'Try not to stare at people like I am about to throw a kunai at them.'_ She looked up from her work to survey the much reduced wet area around herself and winced again. _Maybe for the future I should also try to be a little more careful with the village's resources. Almost wasting this much water for a spar? Kami, I have to get a grip._

After a few long minutes, Temari finally felt satisfied that she had recovered most of the water, and rocked back onto her feet before walking back to her family. Kankuro had left the group in order to collect his puppets, but Baki and Gaara were deep in conversation; or to be more accurate, Baki was deep in conversation with Gaara listening closely.

"...we are expected at the central reservoir in just half an hour. The ANBU should be in position by now to inspect the crowds for any potential assailants"

Gaara glanced at Temari, making sure that she was listening before looking back towards Baki and nodding. "What is the status of the insurgency?"

"As anticipated, the reports we've received from the outstanding ANBU squad has held no new information. Even the rumors seem to have grown quiet." He hesitated before continuing, catching both Gaara's and Temari's attention. "Please be extra careful Kazekage-sama. We may not know much, but we do know that you are the target, and assuming that they still have all the information from your battle with the last attack by the Akatsuki..."

Temari felt her adrenaline spike at Baki's reports. It was true. They hadn't found any legitimate sources of information on the Sasayaku, but for all signs of activity to simply vanish... their enemy was ready to make their first play. _And Gaara _has_ to make an appearance at the ceremony this afternoon or his reputation could take a serious blow. Damn it, damn it, damn it..._

Despite Baki and Temari's obvious discomfiture, Gaara seemed as calm as ever. "And the Konoha cell?"

Baki was momentarily surprised by the sudden change in topic, but knew better than to ignore the question. "Oh- er- well we received a messenger hawk from one of our border patrols that reported their presence at the desert line this morning, but a large sandstorm from the north has since blocked the eastern approach. If they made it through before the sandstorm hit, then we would expect them to arrive in a few hours. If not, then they could be delayed by several days."

Temari's eye brows snapped together, wrinkling her brow. "Several days? Damn it... any idea when we might have more information?"

Baki sent her a quick look that she recognized to be a silent apology. At the same time, Kankuro appeared at her side with his puppet scrolls once again perched on his back. With the unspoken confirmation that everyone was ready, the group collectively turned away from the training ground and began their trek towards the village center, while the elder shinobi answered her lingering question. "It was one of the reasons why I came to find you beforehand. The report from the border patrol came in only an hour ago, and with the shisha (literally translates to 'messenger') shinobi occupied elsewhere and the sandstorm in the way, our methods of communication are limited. We will of course keep you notified if anything changes."

Temari took another deep breath to regain control of her frustrations. After all, there wasn't anything more that she could do. "I guess I'll just continue to scan the reports we've received from the peacekeepers and the ANBU for whenever-"

Her thoughts were interrupted when Gaara stopped walking and turned to look up to the eastern sky, leaving his companions to look at him in confusion. The redhead wordlessly closed his eyes with only a small frown of concentration while Temari held her breath in anticipation. _Don't tell me..._ A few moments later, he reopened his eyes; his expression relaxing back into its usual blank facade. "Baki, while your estimates were undoubtedly sound, it seems that the Leaf are ahead of schedule." It felt like a giant weight had been lifted from Temari's shoulders. She let out the air that had she had subconsciously held in her lungs before a mild jolt of adrenaline hit her system. _It's almost time._

"Oneesan, would you be averse to escorting Shikamaru and his team to the village center while we conduct the ceremony?"

Temari felt her mouth suddenly go dry, but resisted the urge to swallow the strange knot that had jumped into her throat at the mention of his name. She couldn't afford to be distracted, especially now. Her expression remained cooly neutral as she focused her mind on her brother's request. She knew that he wouldn't purposefully send her away to keep her from harm, but she wondered at his motives for sending her to meet the Konoha nins directly for something as trivial as an escort detail through the city.

_Nins from Konoha; the shinobi village that could instantly turn from Gaara's greatest ally into his worst enemy. An escort through the city that is now host to a secret organization that is out to undermine Gaara's office at all costs... and of course, the knowledge that the enemy has already compromised our own shinobi ranks._ She looked back at him in understanding, but went on to elaborate for Kankuro's and Baki's sakes. "You want me to make sure that the Sasayaku don't take advantage of the opportunity and attack them when they're exhausted from their journey."

He nodded once. "That's correct. However..." She gave him a look of surprise when the barest of smiles ghosted across his lips. "...while your presence at public events is always appreciated, at the moment you seem a little... disheveled... for the occasion."

Thrown off by his observation, Temari confusedly looked down at her clothing and winced. Her dark, sleeveless dress and lavender overshirt were streaked with sweat and sand while her bright red obi had grown dusty and wrinkled. She experimentally reached up to her hair and found it to be stiff and gnarled, with tufts breaking free from her ties. She looked at her brothers darkly. Despite being inundated by a waterfall, Gaara's hair and robes had already dried in the waning heat of the day, leaving him looking as regal and stoic as ever. Meanwhile, Kankuro's looser garb masked his own sweat stains and his traditional puppet nin hood and kabuki paint adequately hid his mop of hair and sand-streaked face from view. She let out a small sigh of defeat. Although she had never actually _wanted_ to go to the event, she would have still felt better to have the opportunity to stand at her brother's side and ensure his safety. _Maybe it's better this way. After all, Baki and Kankuro will be there with him and there are three ANBU squads dispersed through the crowds. If I went like this, I would just end up scaring small children... more than usual that is._

Kankuro's voice came from behind her, dripping with mischief. "No need to give it to her gently, Gaara. I've been telling her for _years _that she's too ugly to be seen in public." He swiftly blocked the kick that Temari had aimed at his head before continuing, his train of thought unphased by her retaliation. "After everything wraps up, maybe we should all grab dinner?"

Temari felt her lingering concerns begin to dissipate in response to her brother's infectious enthusiasm. She shot him a conspiratory smirk while remembering the reactions of the foreign shinobi the last time they sampled the spicy Sunan delicacies. Just as she was about to say as much...

_...her hands were clamped down on feverish skin as corded muscle resisted the steady downward pressure... she could not tell if the slick sweat on her hands was her own or that of her brother, writhing in pain below her... strangled screams echoed across the pale linoleum tiles... pale, artificial light brought a sallow gleam to the skin tone of everyone present... and through it all, an aching desperation that seemed to portend death..._

"...they aren't too tired from their journey. They will at least need to be taken to their quarters to freshen up," said Gaara.

With his signature grin in place, Kankuro responded. "Well, I know that if we end up going out to eat with the frizz-head here, we're going to need a bath of our own. Otherwise we'll just get turned away at the door"

Suppressing the shaky breath that threatened to break free, Temari looked into the brown eyes before her, trying desperately not to think of how only a moment earlier she had seen the same eyes clouded with unspeakable pain. With as much bite as possible, she readied her retort. "At least I'll be presentable afterwards. If we're going out in public for dinner, you better make sure you wear enough face paint to cover up your ugly mug, eh blockhead?" He continued to smirk at her, but she recognized the spark of unease in his eyes. While Gaara and Baki turned to start walking towards the village square, Kankuro fell in step at her side.

His voice was barely above a whisper as he turned to her. "Listen... oneesan... so, you know that... well, you can talk to me if something's wrong, ok?"

While doing an internal facepalm at his apparent awkwardness, Temari was still warmed by Kankuro's words, and hoped that she could dispel his concerns.

Although it had already been a week since Temari had resumed her usual duties, the flashbacks had continued to progress and she could no longer fool herself into believing that they were a side effect from stress. After hours of careful consideration, she realized that she was slowly running out of ideas for what had been triggering her 'episodes', and, in her worst moments, she had considered telling her family about her condition. A thought that she immediately rejected. She had dedicated her whole life to becoming a shinobi and she knew that if Gaara, Kankuro, or even Baki or Ebizo knew about her daily turmoil, they would immediately take that life away from her. She couldn't risk it. Especially since she found that the only time she was truly safe from the memories was when she was on a mission or training. Without that time to heal from the onslaughts...

"Yeah, I know. I guess it's just everything going on lately. It's hard to think that the biggest threat isn't a missing nin, or the Akatsuki... it's the people that we have been fighting to protect." She fed him the half-lie, knowing that he would believe that was all that was causing her underlying unease.

Kankuro's face relaxed for a moment, before he looked up at Gaara and she saw his forehead once again wrinkle in concern. "I hear ya. I just can't believe that after he gave everything, people still..."

Temari only nodded as she too looked ahead to their younger brother. However, while her face mirrored the puppet master's concern, her eyes also sparked with her own familiar anger. "At least this time we know it's coming. This time we're ready to fight back."

He gave her an odd look. "Are you about to head off to the village entrance?"

Not able to predict the direction of his thoughts, she answered truthfully. "Yes, why?"

His smirk again bloomed across his face. "Oh, well if that's the case then you may want to tone down the bloodlust. Knowing that you're going to meet the softies while looking like a reanimated corpse, the combination might be a little much."

She shot him a dark look. "Well if it hasn't scared you away yet, then I'm obviously doing something wrong." Not wanting to give him the chance to retaliate, she extended her strides to catch up with Baki and Gaara. "Oi, I'm headed off. If there is an attack, try to leave some enemies for me, kay?" Her teal eyes looked into those of each of the people present. The people that meant nearly everything to her. "Be safe."

In a flash of motion, she turned away and executed a series of leaps that brought her to the roof of the closest building. Before turning eastward, she felt her hand instinctively reach up to scrub some more dirt from her face. "Stupid blockhead..."

* * *

Taking another look over his shoulder to confirm (again) that Temari had truly left them to go meet with the Konoha shinobi, Kankuro turned to his two companions. "I don't like this. Something's still bothering her."

Although Baki and Gaara were two of the least expressive shinobi he knew, Kankuro could still read the same anxiety in their eyes. His younger brother was the first to speak. "I thought so. I had hoped that she would have dealt with her demons by now." The puppet master smirked at his younger brother's unintentional pun. "However, her performance on missions has been just as high as before, and we can't afford to assign this mission to someone less capable. Especially with the added presence of the Konoha shinobi."

Kankuro felt his frustrations rise in his chest, followed swiftly by a twinge of guilt. He already knew that Gaara was torn between his duties as brother and those as Kazekage and was doing almost everything that he could to help her. Even going so far as to issue a formal request that Shikamaru lead the Konoha cell in hopes that the genius would be able to detect and nullify the root cause of their sister's distress. He took a deep breath to bite back his emotions before responding. "I just hope that the bum is all he's cracked up to be. He may have taken down an S-ranked criminal, but only Temari seems to know anything more than what was communicated in the actual report."

Gaara looked at him curiously "Couldn't you just ask her? She seemed completely forthright when she told me."

Kankuro just sputtered. "She... What?! When I asked her, she told me that I was being 'nosey' and that I should 'mind my own business'!" He looked at his younger brother expectantly. "Well, otouto, if you know, then..."

Gaara's mouth suddenly twitched. "I would, but Temari already made me swear not to tell you."

"That's it! I'm going to figure this out or Kami help me-" Before he could finish, his sentence was cut off by a shout.

"Kazekage-sama!" In a blur of blue robes, the trio suddenly found themselves face to face with Hideaki and an unfamiliar peacekeeper. After a brief bow to the group, he continued. "I am in immediate need of a traps and device team. There is a possible suspect in the Sasayaku investigation meeting a foreign shinobi at the grain silo in the Northeast quadrant of the city, but we suspect the space to be rigged."

_Kami, even after sprinting to find us he still manages to say as little as possible._

Gaara looked at the men panting in front of them before turning back to Kankuro and looking him in the eye. He nodded back at the unspoken question. _Better for me to go alone than risk someone else sabotaging the situation or removing any of the shinobi teams involved in the security at the ceremony._ With his brother's confirmation, the redhead turned back to address the group. "Baki and I will go to the main square for the presentation of the water scrolls. Kankuro, proceed via the Eastern corridor with Hideaki-san to the warehouse. Help him and his forces to secure the location until shinobi reinforcements arrive. If at any point you have doubts in your abilities, stop and wait for support. Also, whatever happens, do not enter the premises until you have back up."

Kankuro looked back at Gaara quizzically, but complied regardless. _The eastern corridor is bound to be packed at this time of day... what is Gaara thinking?_ He quickly gave Baki the remaining water scrolls before sprinting away with the other two men in close pursuit.

As he expected, their progress was severely limited by the crowds of people gathered on each side of the thoroughfare, as if they were sheep corralled by the lengthening shadows from the western cliffs. As the adrenaline pumped through his body, Kankuro suddenly felt himself overcome with a sense of deja vu. _To think that just two months ago I was following another thread of the Akatsuki..._

After what felt like an eternity, the trio finally reached the correct side-street and broke away from the throng. With his heart pounding in anticipation, the puppet nin began to think through the possible traps that he would find; his mind methodically recalling the hundreds of blueprints that he kept carefully stored in his memory. _If it's a lead from the peacekeepers' investigation, then I could probably assume that the majority of the traps will be mechanical in nature. Maybe wire snares? Hopefully nobody tripped any explosive tags... Even so, I'll still have to keep my eye out for any time delay jutsus..._ he slowed his strides for a moment to allow the other two men to catch up to his position. While waiting for them, he did a cursory chakra sweep to check the surrounding area for prying eyes or ears.

"Oi, mu- I mean- Hideaki-san. What's so big about this warehouse anyway?"

"Although the investigation has officially been transferred to the Kazekage, we have kept our own investigation open. At this stage, while we have yet to find any outright opposition to his governance, the... gossip... has persisted; it's only grown quiet over the course of the past couple of days. However, we hit a stroke of luck today during an undercover operation at one of the village's seedier establishments. Taro, the undercover operative who is awaiting our arrival, overheard a grain merchant mention the name Sasayaku and referenced the Sunan grain silo while in conversation with an armed man. He could not hear the entirety of their discussion, but, as the shinobi bore the characteristics of a foreigner, we knew that we should escalate the matter to the Kazekage."

Kankuro silently sucked a breath of air in through his teeth, while his eyes narrowed in suspicion. _I can understand why Gaara is wary. We go_ weeks _with no leads, and suddenly a_ peacekeeper_ finds, not just a possible location, but a possible source as well? And just when Gaara, Baki, and most of the ANBU are required to be present at the village center._ Still, he knew that, even if it was a ghost chase, they couldn't afford to waste the opportunity presented to them. Especially knowing that a significant amount of the village's food stores could be in danger as well.

Kankuro dispelled his lingering thoughts as he noticed the architecture change from the usual, cylindrical residential quarters to larger, but stockier structures. They had reached the warehouse district. Turning to Hideaki, he signaled the man to continue forward while he leapt up the shadowed side of a building and covertly scanned the skyline to the northeast of their position, catching sight of the large spherical structure that towered over the surrounding buildings. No one else was in sight. _So far, so good._

He noiselessly dropped back to the street level as he steered the trio between the regularly spaced, blocky structures until he caught site of the back of a lone individual who was crouched behind some barrels stacked against the wall on the right side of their thoroughfare. Knowing that the grain silo was only about fifty meters beyond the edge of the building, Kankuro guessed that they had found Taro. An assumption that was quickly confirmed by a curt nod from Hideaki. Realizing that the man was so focused on his inspection of the open area ahead that he had not even detected the approach of the other three men, Kankuro felt his stomach twist. _Kami, this is bad. I'm in a hostile environment with three civilians and the only information I have on the situation is what was gathered by... him._

Still, the puppet nin harbored hopes of some form of success. Once Hideaki quietly alerted the waiting officer of their presence, Kankuro took the man's place behind the barrels at the northernmost corner of the building and did a cursory chakra sweep of the grain silo, detecting only one untrained chakra signal within the targeted area. _Well, that fits with our expectations based on the mute's report assuming that the other shinobi is masking his presence. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't others hidden in the area for support either._ After another negative inspection of the prominent lookout points surrounding them, Kankuro reached into a pocket inside of his robes to remove a small pocket mirror. Cupping the mirror in his hand, Kankuro reached out and around the corner of the building in order to inspect their target.

He started with the base of the building, taking note of the locations of visible exits, and was annoyed to see that the building appeared to have doors located at the western and southern walls of the building. _Typical... there are probably matching doors at the northern and eastern points as well. Covering all four exits with just the four of us would be near impossible, and I'd be willing to bet that there are underground exits as well._ Even more concerning was the row of porthole windows around the middle of the building. Windows just high enough to give anyone inside a bird's eye view of the entire district. He watched each window for signs of movement, but still detected nothing. The eerie calm, rather than relaxing his stretched nerves, only set him more on edge. _At least I know that the sun would illuminate anyone standing in the windows..._

That was when it hit him. The sun was setting. He looked up into the western sky to gauge the sun's position and determined that there was only twenty five minutes left of the daylight... which meant that there were only twenty five minutes left for him to make his move. _Even if I wait for reinforcements, there is no way that we could effectively pick out all the traps in the darkness, and if we were to light flares it would alert anyone inside of our approach. Not to mention that right now the setting sun is creating a natural flare that would limit the visibility of anyone looking in our direction..._ It was time for a make or break decision, and the young nin, for the first time in a while, felt himself at a loss. _I wish that Temari, Gaara, or Baki were here..._

_Gaara. These are the people who want to hurt Gaara._

He took a deep breath and turned to the others, his decision made. "Oi. I'm going to clear out the traps between here and the western entrance while I still can. I'll need the most capable of you three to go with me and keep an eye out for an ambush."

Hideaki stepped forward and removed his pale blue robe to reveal a darker maroon outfit. "I'll go with you Kankuro-domo."

Kankuro nodded once, and turned to the others. "You two wait here for the reinforcements. Use this to keep an eye on the window line and immediately call out to us if you see anyone." He handed them his pocket mirror before turning back to Hideaki. "Hideaki-san, I need you to keep an eye out for enemies, on both ground level and on the rooftops" He accentuated each with a gesture. "If you see any signs of movement, grab my shoulder and _maybe_ we'll get a chance to intercept them." When the man gave a nod of understanding, Kankuro continued. "We'll keep to the shadows as long as possible while approaching the warehouse. After we get to the wall, we'll continue north until we reach the entrance. We have until sunset. If at that point we haven't made it to the doorway, we stop. No if, ands, or buts." The elder man simply nodded. "Because of the tight time frame, I'm not going to deactivate the traps unless I suspect the presence of a time delay jutsu or trap jutsu. Everything else I'm just going to mark with my chakra threads so that you'll be able to spot the triggers. Any questions?" Noting the small shake of the man's head, the puppet nin offered him a grim smile in return. "All right, let's go." The two wordlessly rounded the barrels and silently crept through the shadows.

At the beginning, Kankuro lead them through the stretching shadows of the surrounding buildings, trusting his own black robes and Hideaki's maroon garb to hide their approach from any eyes the enemy had hidden from his detection. Even when moving quickly, he carefully combed the surrounding area with both his eyes and his chakra, and was rewarded when he found the first trip wire circling the whole building only five meters past their starting point. True to his word, he twisted a thick cord of chakra string around the wire before continuing his progress. Minutes later, they reached the curved sandstone wall, Kankuro taking a second to leave a chakra print to indicate their starting point. He took one look back at his companion before waving him forward and continuing northward along the sloped surface.

Even with Kankuro's considerable talent, their progress was slow. By the time they could finally see the indentation of the doorway around the edge of the curved surface, he had used fifteen more minutes, but had also found two more trip wires and even a pressure plate hidden in the stones beneath their feet. While there were no outward signs of change in the puppet nin's careful movements, inwardly Kankuro's mind was racing; piecing together the implications of his discoveries. _Hn... I was expecting mechanical based traps, and the trip wires are understandable, but a pressure plate? That type of mechanism takes much more time to rig. And if they're protecting all four entrances... no. There is no way that one shinobi was able to throw all this together in one afternoon. What is going on here?_

Realizing that his concentration was beginning to waver, Kankuro paused a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow. He looked back and met Hideaki's eyes before returning to the task at hand. _Actually, for a non-shinobi, he's not so bad to work with. I'll have to tell Gaara to hire more mutes._ As his eyes darted around the area before him, the shinobi picked up his foot, only to freeze midstep. The wind shifted the sand that lay over the stone bricks in the street, and in the waning daylight he detected the faint glow of chakra. He held up his hand to signal Hideaki to wait while he crouched down to inspect the area more closely. _Chakra threads?_ He instinctively increased his chakra awareness, suspecting an ambush from another puppet nin. What he found froze him in place.

With his heightened sensitivity to chakra, Kankuro peered in amazement at the glowing system of threads that spread through the cracks between the street stones and the bricks in the wall. He shivered as his mind gave him a name for the set up. _A chakra web._ Thousands of threads set to one, central trap jutsu; extending the radius and sensitivity of the trap's trigger. _I have to go... This is way beyond..._

Suddenly, he felt a sharp prick in his shoulder blades followed by a burning sensation that spread through his body like wildfire. He felt his remaining chakra begin to flow through his hands, against his will, while his muscles simultaneously began to weaken and his consciousness started fading. Feeling like he was moving in slow motion, Kankuro forced his body to turn and look behind him as he fell towards the waiting web. As his vision began to tunnel into blackness, he saw Hideaki standing over him with a discharged syringe in one hand; his usually bright eyes dull and glazed and his face slack.

The last thing Kankuro remembered before losing consciousness was the sound of his sister's voice ringing in the air and a slow drawl; "Kagemane no Jutsu: a success."

* * *

_I have to be cursed. There is no way that my life could be this troublesome merely by coincidence._

Shikamaru allowed his mental grumblings to stew within himself as he continued along the dark, curving corridor of his temporary living quarters. Row upon row of unmarked doors lined his path, but he kept his eyes and mind focused on his final destination; a set of double doors ahead on his left that were cracked open, spilling a soft light into the otherwise darkened hallway. After hearing the quiet sound of shuffling paper, he let out a deep breath of air in both relief and preparation. Relief, because he was one step closer to finally finishing what could arguably be considered the longest day of his life; preparation because he knew that the impending conversation would be anything but easy._ At least that persistent churning in my stomach has gone away._

Steeling his nerves, he pushed open the doors and walked into the room.

The room itself seemed to follow the typical Sunan design; vaulted ceilings that would facilitate the dissipation of heat during the long days, as well as the standard porthole-style windows that lined the wall facing him. Considering the large and spacious floor plan, he could easily imagine it being used as a guest parlor or even a small dining room... if it hadn't already been turned into a library. Towering racks that had been filled with scrolls lined nearly every inch of the walls, stretching from either side of the door frame, turning each of the corners, and filling in the gaps between the windows. He tilted his head back to note that they rose well beyond his own eye level, starting with larger, thicker scrolls at the bottom and tapering into smaller and smaller compilations until he lost site of the contents nearly two meters over his head. It was undoubtedly impressive, but it was not enough to distract Shikamaru's attention from the room's sole occupant.

He found her standing over a large, eight person table in the middle of the room, hands firmly planted under her shoulders as she poured over the papers and scrolls that had been strewn over its glossy surface. Her face was pulled into a contemplative frown as her cool and calculating eyes jumped from one page to the next, never pausing for more than a few seconds, and never rising to meet his own. Waiting for her to break the silence, he noted the streaks of dirt that still patterned her skin and clothes and the hair that had slipped free from their ties. The overall effect was one of deliberate, single-minded intensity; a ruthless efficiency seamlessly blended into just a touch of chaos. Or in a word, Temari.

_Or, troublesome._ He reminded himself.

Suddenly, her chin tipped forward as she closed her eyes while her left hand curled into a fist that pounded into the table top. However, when she finally lifted her head to look at him, all signs of frustration had been replaced with an unreadable expression.

He was unnerved by her eyes. Unnerved that he could read so little from a person that he thought he knew so well.

"So how much do you know?"

It was as if her voice shattered a spell between them as he felt his usual apathetic demeanor return. Of course, she would already be thinking ahead to the mission.

Her eyes had again returned to the papers in front of her, but he knew her attention was still rooted on their conversation.

"Not too much. Really just the background details, the mission contract, and what Gaara told us in his debrief." Realizing that their conversation was far from over, he pulled out one of the armed chairs at the table and sat down, stretching his feet out in front of himself. His arms reached up towards the ceiling before his fingers laced together behind his head. He looked back over at her to see her studying him with a familiar look of disdain.

"Yes, please, make yourself comfortable. I'm sure that talking must be _very_ troublesome for you." He suppressed the urge to smirk at her while he felt his own nerves release a little more. Sarcastic Temari was good. It was when she got quiet that she was most dangerous.

"Tch. It's been a long day. There's no reason for me to be standing when there's a perfectly good chair available."

She made a small sound in the back of her throat before sliding a one page bio sheet to his side of the table. Leaning forward, he quickly scanned the information before looking at the small headshot featured in the top right corner and finding a picture of the same man they had captured only hours earlier. "He worked for Gaara?"

He saw as her eyes shift as she regarded the picture. Gone was the glittering irritation from a moment ago; in its place burned a cold fury. "He did. He is now being held and interrogated by the Sunan ANBU, along with the other two peacekeepers and the individuals we found inside the silo. We should have an update in time for tomorrow morning's mission debrief" She paused after she finished speaking and slowly blinked, her eyes shifting back to the blank expression she had been wearing at the start of their discussion. _She's suppressing it all_. He frowned at her actions, but knew better than to say anything. When she again spoke, her voice was as empty as her eyes. "As you know, Gaara has been making public appearances every week to replenish the village's water stores, build morale, and generally improve his own relations with the people. The reports from the peacekeepers and ANBU had both indicated a lull in the the Sasayaku activity in the village. Knowing that Gaara is their target and that they would have knowledge on the previous Akatsuki attack, we suspected that they would make their move during the ceremony. They capitalized on the inaccuracy of my assumptions."

She paused to take a breath. "Their strategy would have been flawless. First, leverage Hideaki's reputation to lure Kankuro away from the other shinobi. Then, wear down his stamina and focus by pitting him against a series of traps just difficult enough to be taxing without being too challenging that he would feel the need to wait for reinforcements. Finally, Hideaki injects him with a chakra-stimulant when Kankuro's practically sitting on the trigger. Ebizo studied the trap jutsu that they had set and said that it was designed to be activated by contact with puppeteer chakra. Apparently there were enough chakra threads in the area to turn Kankuro into a giant cocoon."

Shikamaru's fingers released from behind his head as he leaned forward in his seat; his thin brows furrowing in concentration. He suspected that Temari was the first to pinpoint the Sasayaku's intentions to attack Gaara during the ceremony, and in a manner of speaking, she was right. "So they were intending to kidnap Kankuro, most likely with the intention of using him as leverage against Gaara, and, from their actions, we can conclude that they have, at least, one high level puppet nin on their side."

She thought through his logic before slowly nodding back. "Ebizo's assessment is that the skill required to manipulate that number of chakra strings would be close to that of a chuunin level puppet nin, but the complexity of the jutsu indicates a jounin level trap expert. Not to mention an elite strategist with enough skill to flawlessly predict our every move. It seems that the only reasons they failed and we ended up on top was because, one, Gaara suspected foul play and delayed Kankuro's and Hideaki's progress by sending them along the busiest street in all of Suna, and, two, because you and your team arrived ahead of schedule. Oh, and because your Kagemane works just as well against unconscious puppet nins as anyone else." She looked at him significantly, and Shikamaru realized that this was probably the closest she would ever get to thanking him. He thought of making a point of the moment, but decided to let it pass. After all, knowing Temari, even getting this much of a 'thank you' was a small miracle. Her eyebrow suddenly arched at him questioningly as she continued her train of thought. "Speaking of which, crossing the desert in the middle of the day? That seems awfully out of character for you, crybaby. I didn't know that you were such a fan of dry heat"

_I knew I shouldn't have let that opportunity pass._ He bristled at the nickname, but did his best to hide his reaction. No need to encourage her. "Tch. it all comes back to that troublesome sandstorm. We reached the desert border this morning and had planned to wait for nightfall to make the final trek. Neji picked up the sandstorm while scouting with his Byakugan and told me that we would either have to travel then or risk delaying the mission by several days." Shikamaru decided not to mention that a large factor in his decision was the knowledge that the rather dangerous kunoichi that was looking at him now would have held him personally accountable for every delay. "Then you know the course of the rest of the day-"

She abruptly cut him off, and he realized that his efforts to hide the rest of the story had already failed. "But even if you were at the sandline this morning, you shouldn't have been able to make the journey in such a short time if you ran into the border patrol..."

He cursed inwardly before once again leaning back in his chair and looking up at the ceiling in resignation. "Well... I had hoped to spend most of the trek thinking through the mission, so I asked Tenten to lead us through the desert."

He hazarded a peek at the kunoichi across the table, and saw her face lit with a predatory glee while her shoulders had tensed in an attempt to contain her amusement. "Let me get this straight. Not only did _you_, mister 'men- need- to- take- care- of- women- through- every- peril- of- life' ask a _woman_ to lead your cell, but you asked, of all people, one of the members of Team Gai."

He finally pulled his arms from behind his head and set his elbows on his knees as he scrubbed at his face as if trying to rid himself of the memory. _It had been a logical decision. Tenten navigates our way through the desert, Neji takes the rear and uses his Byakugan to track the progress of the sandstorm, Ino familiarizes herself with the land and terrain, and I focus my attention on thinking through the mission details to brainstorm potential leads. Or that's the way it _should_ have worked out if I wasn't too preoccupied with my burning leg muscles to think of anything more than the next spot my foot was landing._ His inner grumblings suddenly fell silent when he looked up and found Temari's face lit up in one of her rare, genuine smiles. A moment later, he realized that his own mouth had instinctively curved in response.

When her eyes again fell to the papers in front of her, he saw every trace of mirth flee from her face, only to be replaced by a heavy shadow of guilt. He felt a stab of sympathy, but knew that she would reject any words that he may offer. Especially considering that he did the same thing two weeks earlier. _She blames herself._ Temari's voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts. "Well, now you know just about as much as we do. Kankuro's already been released from the hospital and moved to one of the rooms here. The doctors say he's only suffering from a mild case of chakra depletion, so he should also be ready, or at least conscious, for tomorrow. As for the rooms, Ebizo invited us to use his home as the mission headquarters, and based on the circumstances, Gaara and I have accepted. I'll talk more about that tomorrow, but the gist is that we are all welcome guests and as such, what's his is ours and vice versa." She took that opportunity to gesture to the racks of scrolls around the room, but Shikamaru's eyes were focused on the simple, but well-used shogi set in the corner. _I get the feeling that I'm going to like this Ebizo guy._ "Breakfast will be available in the dining room at the end of the hallway at seven and our meeting is here at nine, but I want you to read through this beforehand." She tossed him a small scroll that, when opened, revealed row upon row of her rigidly organized handwriting.

_I knew it. This is going to be like the chuunin exams all over again._ "Mendokuse... do I even want to know what this is?"

The brief glare across the table told him not to push his luck and effectively stifled the groan that had been sitting in the back of his throat. "_That_ is the compilation of all the details from the ANBU and peacekeeper reports involved in investigations on Sasayaku activities." He nearly winced at the growl in her voice while she gestured to a small mountain of scrolls towards the end of the table. "Those are the reports themselves. If you prefer to look through them directly, I could always take that back...?"

He only rolled his eyes in response as he pocketed the scroll. He knew that her summary would be both thorough and concise, but while he was secretly thrilled with the gift, he felt no need to stroke her ego. "Hai, hai. I'll try to get to it. Is there anything else?"

She seemed to pause at his question, before quickly shaking her head. "No, that's all. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

He paused at the dismissal. "I'm not sure if it was communicated..."

She looked up at him with another puzzled frown before responding. "Is this concerning your modifications to the contract duration?" He nodded back and carefully watched her pensive expression. He could almost see the gears turning in her head as she thought through the possible implications. Finally her face relaxed into a calm disinterest. "While the contract's already been updated and released to Konoha, I don't see the mission extending to that length of time, and if for some reason it does, we'll find a way to manage." Her attention instantly fell back to the papers in front of her as he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. It felt a lot like disappointment, but he couldn't understand _why_ he would feel disappointed. His thoughts rebelliously jumped back to the letter that was sitting in his room. _Maybe... maybe that isn't really all we need to talk about._

As he turned and walked towards the exit, he felt the unwelcome return of the slow churning in the pit of his stomach; the discomfort growing stronger with each step. He reached out to grab the door handle before looking over his shoulder.

She looked the same as she had when he first entered the room, and he frowned as he realized that, while she had clearly had a long and tiring day herself, the crazy woman was making no moves to leave the room to go to bed. Her arms were once again braced against the table, body tensed as if for battle. This time, however, he ignored his own exhaustion to look below the surface; to see underneath the underneath. This time, he noticed the slight tremble to her arms, as if they were the only things holding her upright; the coiled muscles in her shoulders, as if they were carrying the weight of the world; and finally, her eyes. Her eyes that, even now, were meticulously combing the reports and papers before her; searching for answers that they both knew she wouldn't find. Her eyes that had seemed so striking because of their strength.

It was only in that moment that he found himself looking beyond that strength to see the shadows that lined their depths.

Without warning, her gaze jumped up to meet his own. "What?," she snapped at him. "If you want more to do, I'm sure that I could find you _something_." She rocked back and stretched her arms out to her sides, gesturing to the stacks of paper laid out on the table.

He (barely) resisted the urge to roll his eyes back at her. _I should really just let her stay up all night, but then tomorrow she would be even more difficult._ However, just before his irritation reached the breaking point, the image of her braced over the table again flashed in his mind. _Mendokuse. _ He turned away from her to grab the door handle only then to step back and to the side; turning to face her while using his free hand to gesture to the open doorway. "Don't worry, I was just getting the door for you. After all, men should always open doors for women."

For a moment, he let himself enjoy her stunned silence, even if he knew that it was just the calm before the storm. "Y- y- YOU! Of all the presumptuous, arrogant, misogynistic notions that have crossed your mind..." Her sputtering rant tapered off into a series of angry mumbles while her eyes continued to stare daggers into his own. His body tensed as he saw her fingers twitching for a weapon, but relaxed slightly as he realized that her tessen was, thankfully, absent.

Once he was confident that his life was no longer in immediate danger, he slid his free hand into his pocket and continued in a calm, even voice. "Listen, you troublesome woman. Those papers aren't going anywhere overnight, and, considering you've already read through them seven times since I first walked into the room, you'll probably have similar results on the eighth, ninth, and tenth times too." Noticing her eyes darkening in anger, Shikamaru made the wise decision to move on. "Conversely, if you go to sleep now, you'll be in a better state to lead the team debrief tomorrow."

Although her eyes still sparkled dangerously, she remained silent with her lips forcefully pinched together. Shikamaru frowned in confusion. _That's usually an indicator that a person is holding back something that they want to say... but she would never stay silent if she had the chance to win. Unless... unless she's holding back for the sake of a bigger game._

His thoughts were again interrupted when her shoulders suddenly straightened and she rounded the table with quick, purposeful strides that were punctuated by her usual predatory gait. When she pulled even with him, she stopped, put her hands on her hips, and tilted her head back to look up into his face. He felt a familiar jolt of awkwardness at the feeling of looking down into the glittering teal orbs that housed such a commanding personality.

"Don't think that I don't see through you, Nara. You wouldn't lift a finger if you didn't see a direct, positive benefit, and Kankuro has already spent the better part of the last ten years explicitly telling me how 'bitchy' I am when I don't get enough sleep." Shikamaru winced while she continued. "Here's the deal. I know that you want no part of this argument right now. So, I'll say goodnight, calmly return to my room, and get ready for bed without uttering a single, 'troublesome' word."

Shikamaru stared at her suspiciously and said, "you should make sure that you actually go to sleep after getting ready for bed," which earned him an irritated glare.

"Yes... I'll actually go to sleep too. Then, tomorrow you will read the report summary I have given you and be a prompt, attentive, and _active_ participant during the meeting... during which you will not once find anything to be 'troublesome' or 'a drag'." He continued to stare at her while his tired mind began running through the pros and cons of her offer. _Damn it... I'm too tired for this._

"What if I was just asking out of honest concern for your wellbeing?"

For the first time since she crossed the table, he saw her thrown off her stride, which threw _him_ off stride simply because it was a reaction that he had not been expecting. _Hasn't anyone tried to take care of her before?_ He was troubled when he realized that, considering what little he knew of her history, there was a good possibility that no one had.

Her eyes hardened while he was distracted in his thoughts. "Well then don't. I'm a kunoichi, not some poor lost girl who needs a man to dote on her because of a few stupid, outdated traditions."

He closed his eyes in exhaustion and defeat. _Nothing_ was worth getting into another argument. "Fine. Add in a game of shogi and we'll call it a deal."

When he opened his eyes, he saw her own eyes looking back at him questioningly before turning wary, earning a weary sigh from the shadow nin. "Your offer before... agree to play one game of shogi with me sometime this week and we'll call it a deal, ok?"

Although her expression remained guarded, he saw the shadow of a smirk trace her lips. "You're on. Just remember that you asked for it." With that, she threw back her shoulders in a show of confidence, pulling her pride around her like a well worn sweater. She eagerly stretched out her right hand, earning a bemused smile from Shikamaru before he placed his foot in front of the door to free his own hand for the handshake. The odd sensation in his stomach, once again, had vanished.

Their deal complete, Temari turned away from the open doorway in order to reach for the handle of the second, closed door, pulling an exasperated groan from his throat. _That woman is like a mule_. She looked over her shoulder, shot him a quick smirk, and uttered a cool "good night" before disappearing into the shadows of the corridor.

Shikamaru turned off the light and slowly walked back to his own room where he prepared for bed, set an alarm, and flopped down on the mattress. As his thoughts faded to blackness, so too did the image of two penetrating, teal eyes as deep and unreadable as the sea.

* * *

Please R&R! Your feedback keeps me going!


	5. Of Tests and Teammates

A/N: Hello again! I know that it has been a deplorably long time since my last update. Work and work related travel has been interrupting my writing time, and once my flow is interrupted it takes me far longer than I would like to get back into the groove. It also doesn't help that, whenever I DO get a block of time to work on the story, I get writer's block and find myself spewing literary garbage. Hence the heinously long edit time.

First things first. I want to extend a HUGE thank you to YuiKoike978 for giving me permission to use the piece "Random ShikaTema Stuff" as the cover art for the story. If you like it, I'd highly recommend checking out some other art.

I want to thank Imperial Mutt, mep439, and Janina for their reviews on the last chapter. Every bit of feedback goes a long way to helping me get out of my funks and get back to the story!

Finally, I want to say thank you to Mrs. Shikamaru Nara for, not just reviewing last chapter, not just writing your own great story, but ALSO following up to specifically ask about the status of this chapter's release. I hope that you enjoy, and I'll get on writing the next chapter right away!

And... here it is. The long awaited chapter 5. This chapter is more character interaction than actual plot development, so please let me know if anyone seems OOC and I'll work to adapt in later chapters. Except for Ebizo. After spending DAYS trying to nail down that old man's character, I refuse to change him again. Sorry.

* * *

_'...street vendors found discussing the new concealed weapon policies and the resulting negative impact on civilian safety... both citizens denied the charges of slander against the Kazekage's policies while under the effects of truth serum...'_

Already familiar with the rest of the report summary, Temari's eyes jumped to the bottom of the page to scan the names of the reporting agents, the time, location, and the closing verdict: _'Questioned parties declared innocent. No suspects identified nor apprehended.'_

Taking the week-old ANBU report, Temari carefully placed the page in the small pile to her right as she tried, again, to find a correlation between assorted mission details and the tenuous signs of enemy activity. The process had been bad enough when she thought that she only had to distinguish between common gossip spread by the village busybodies and deliberate rumors designed to tarnish her brother's reputation. However, now she _also_ had to factor in Hideaki's involvement by filtering out the peacekeeper reports that he could have doctored. It was maddening, and was only compounded by a persistent feeling of obliviousness; as if a part of her mind had already figured out the puzzle before her and was taunting her to catch up. She was pretty sure that it was that same part of her mind that was subtly reminding her that, as this was the third time she had combed through the reports since waking up that morning, the final count from the previous night was ten. She hated it when he was right. _One night. One night and he's already getting under my skin. Kami, I almost told him about the nightmares just to shake that smirk from his face..._

After the events of the previous day, Temari had intended to bury herself in the ever-present paperwork in hopes that the process would quiet her inner turmoil and subdue the inevitable nightmares. She had almost succeeded. Each page she had read, every detail she had absorbed had pulled her further from the memory of her brother crumpling towards the ground; further from the lurking sense of helplessness that had haunted her all evening. All she had needed was a few more minutes until her body would have succumbed to her exhaustion and left her mind to stew in a sea of black and white facts. Instead, he had found her and pulled her face to face with the very memory from which she was trying to escape. When he had walked into the room, her mind and body had instinctively prepared for their conversation as if she were going into a battle; anticipating the course of their exchange and preemptively formulating appropriate responses. She should have known that such efforts were futile. Within a few seconds she had relaxed her guard, her mind somehow more focused on his irritatingly lazy mannerisms than her responses to his questions. Within a few minutes the nature of their exchange had shifted from formal debrief to casual banter and the painful knot of worry in her stomach had somehow disappeared. By the end, against all odds, she had even caught herself smiling. The memory was still there, fresh in her mind, but its hold on her thoughts had somehow lessened, leaving her relaxed in a way that she would never have imagined possible. It was then, when she least expected it, that he caught her. Not, as she had feared, with a response to her impulsive letter from two weeks earlier, but with one line that she could have never anticipated.

_'What if I was just asking out of honest concern for your wellbeing?'_

Breaking back to the present, she suddenly pushed away from the table, letting her movements clear her head. _I should have known better than to start that train of thought when I'm still recovering from the nightmares._ She looked at the clock above the door and quirked a small smile in relief. 06:45. While she couldn't do anything to help the bone-deep exhaustion, she knew that Ebizo would be nearly finished with breakfast after all but throwing her out of the kitchen a half hour ago. _And maybe... he'll have some _real_ coffee_. Quickly storing the assorted reports on a small side table under one of the windows, Temari left the makeshift office, eagerly anticipating the pending meal and the elder's calming company.

She was not expecting the other two occupants.

"Ohayo Temari!" The Sunan kunoichi tried to hide her wince at the loud outburst as she regarded the bright-eyed kunoichi and her stoic companion; both seated at a brightly patterned mosaic table and appearing far more fresh than two 'travel-weary' guests had any right to be. Neji gave her a small nod in greeting while Temari carefully climbed over the bench in front of her to sit across from the pair.

"Ohayo Tenten. Don't tell me that you guys woke up early just to go running around the perimeter of the village on your hands… again."

She quirked a small grin when she saw Tenten blanch and Neji's lips turn into a small frown. "No, nothing so- drastic, Temari-taichou." the Hyuuga replied, "Just a morning exercise routine. I'm sure that you understand that we are not as- exuberant- as our teammates."

"Oh Kami." The Sunan kunoichi watched, first alarmedly, and then bemusedly as Tenten buried her face face in her hands, elbows propped on the table. "Neji- she's only seen them on their _good_ days. She doesn't even _know_."

As the light-hearted conversation continued, Temari felt her nerves slowly release the tension that had been building through the morning. She had spent her life eschewing the 'mundane experiences that would only impede her progress and growth as a shinobi' (words she remembered hearing many times from the Yondaime Kazekage), and was still, admittedly, uncertain and hesitant in casual interactions; her utilitarian and driven mindset often questioning the point to such 'frivolities'. However, as she listened to Tenten's and Neji's stories about Gai and Lee while soaking in the soft morning light that filtered through the brightly colored curtains, Temari felt like she was finally beginning to understand the appeal. It was not enough to completely still the persistent whirlwind of thoughts in her mind, nor the lingering tension from her nightmares the night before, but it was enough that, when Ebizo entered the room with a cart filled with food, dishware, and (Kami, bless) coffee, her face split into a full smile.

"Ebizo-jiisan, Sunan coffee and shakshouka (1)? Have I ever mentioned that, of all the shinobi council members, you're my favorite?"

"Good morning to you too, Temari-san," the elder said with a small chuckle. The young blonde stood up from her seat and helped the elder arrange the various plates and mugs on the table while she willed her mouth to stay firmly clamped shut. The last thing she wanted to do was to start drooling.

"Temari... aren't you forgetting that Kankuro and Baki are both on the council as well?" Tenten asked good naturedly, enjoying the opportunity to see her rival-turned-friend at her most relaxed of moments.

Temari let out a small, derisive snort but held back on her answer until she finished with the preparations and had the chance to sit down and enjoy her first reverent sip of the hot drink. "I think that my memory's working just fine. _They're_ the ones who forget that Sunan coffee is the fastest way to my heart."

After formally re-introducing the Konohan shinobi to Ebizo and teaching them the traditional Sunan blessings, the group dug into the food, enveloping the room in an extended silence broken only by the sound of utensils on dishware and requests to pass different dishes or condiments. It was only after they finished that Temari happily watched Tenten and Neji try to endure the elder's rendition of a conversation, or as Temari liked to refer to it, 'verbal sparring'.

"Tenten-san, Neji-san it's wonderful to see you both again."

Tenten, as usual was the first to respond. "Same to you, Ebizo-jiisama! Thank you so much for breakfast and hosting us for the mission."

"Of course, of course. I could never let fine, young shinobi such as yourselves fall prey to the political extremists and their rumor mill."

Tenten looked perplexed, but Temari smirked when Neji's lips quirked downward in realization. "Ebizo-jiisama," he started carefully, "I am merely a branch house member of the Hyuuga clan, and as such I hold no political standing. Tenten's name is tied solely to her position as a Konohan chuunin and a budding weapon's master. Surely there are better targets for gossip."

Ebizo's mouth stayed fixed in a falsely innocent smile. "Oh, Neji-san, trust me when I say that, in the end, your political standing makes no difference. For the sake of a rumor, the only detail that is deemed important is your status as a member of the Hyuuga clan, and trust me when I say that, here in Suna, that status can actually bring you more of a negative reputation than a positive one. If you don't take care to maintain your own reputation, you'll find that the imaginations of the morally repressed can be rather... inventive." Temari noticed a slight blush had crossed Neji's face that he tried to hide with his water glass. Conversely, Tenten's eyes lit with a predatory gleam right before the weapons mistress waved her hand dismissively.

"Ebizo-jiisama, no need to worry about that. People gossip about the Hyuugas peeping through clothes all the time," she ignored the sound of Neji choking on his water, "so it's nothing new."

Temari continued to smile, taking care to hide her amusement while Neji stared at Ebizo in a state of silent conflict; torn between his desire to defend his honor and years of being trained to respect his elders. Conversely, Tenten seemed to be enjoying herself, ignorant to the fact that, by interrupting the course of the conversation, she had put herself right in the line of fire. As if on cue, Ebizo turned his hooded eyes to look at the young kunoichi. "Oh, such rumors about recreational use of the Byakugan are things of the past, Tenten-san. I was thinking specifically about the rumors that were surrounding the nature of the relationship between yourself and Neji-san."

To Tenten's credit, although she did blush slightly, her expression remained steady. "Neji and I have been teammates for almost five years now. As I told some of your shinobi the last time I was here, I've traveled with him unchaperoned as many times as I have with Lee, so unless there are the same rumors going around..." she trailed off while looking at Ebizo, a look of horror suddenly catching her features. "Oh Kami, don't tell me..."

Ebizo's smile remained constant. "Don't worry, I'm sure that all the rumors surrounding the supposed 'relationships' between yourself and your teammates will quiet down after a few weeks. Although, it would probably go a little more smoothly if you outright denied such claims instead of trying to belittle the evidence." Temari noticed the slight blush that tinged the weapon's master's cheeks. _Interesting._

The elder suddenly shifted his expression from the fixed, fake smile that Temari had learned to recognize over the past two months to a gentler, more genuine look. "In the future, I'd just recommend that you be a little more cautious of the implications of your comments and actions- even information shared in a casual environment could be used against you. Just think of conversations in the same way you would a battle: _never give up your advantage unless you have a planned counterattack_." Tenten considered his words carefully before smiling back at him in understanding and appreciation. When Ebizo turned to Neji, the Hyuuga prodigy looked more like an embarrassed schoolboy than a top ranked jounin; a circumstance with which Temari could sympathize. "Neji-san, while I understand your loyalties to your clan, you must be careful that your pride does not cloud your judgement." Neji's face relaxed into a blank expression as he nodded back, but his eyes were filled with respect for the Sunan elder.

After Ebizo's series of 'tests', the flow of their interactions again relaxed back to the same, quiet, yet casual, atmosphere it had been prior to their meal. Not that it could stay that way forever.

Temari swore that she could have heard the giggling a kilometer away.

"...and then he said, 'I didn't know that this was going to be a real mission, I thought you were asking me out'!"

In a flash of color and energy, Matsuri and Ino arrived and sat themselves to the left of Temari, naturally drawing everyone in the room into their conversation and dissipating the calm and peaceful ambiance. With her body filled with calories and caffeine, Temari felt herself grow restless, pulling her attention away from her immediate surroundings and back to what she still needed to be do before the meeting. _1) Wake up Kankuro and review the events from yesterday 2) Get updates on the interrogations. 3) Check in with lazy genius and see if he's figured anything out. 4) Run mission debrief._

"I'm going to go and check on my _darling_ baby brother and the crybaby. I don't know about the latter, but Kami knows that if Kankuro finds out that he missed out on Ebizo-jiisan's shakshouka, we're going to be left listening to him whine all day." While the others shared a small chuckle, Ino suddenly spoke up.

"Ahh, how could I forget! Sorry Matsuri, I left my diet shake with my stuff. I'll be back in a second, so feel free to start without me!" Once she left the dining room, Temari leaned against the wall to wait for her. She knew that the timing was too convenient to be coincidence.

As soon as the curtain fell back into place over the doorway behind the Konohan kunoichi, Temari quietly cleared her throat. "You wanted to talk to me?"

Ino looked surprised for a moment before her lips turned into a small smile. "I should have figured that you'd know. Really, sometimes you remind me so much of-," catching herself rambling, Ino suddenly shook her head to regain her train of thought. "-ah, but nevermind. First off, you need to come with me. Kami knows that if I don't get some make-up to cover those bags under your eyes, I won't be able to focus for the rest of the day." Before Temari could fully comprehend her intentions, Ino had grabbed her wrist and was pulling her down the corridor back towards the kunoichis' rooms. _Where does she come up with this stuff?_

"B- But I don't wear make-up," was Temari's brilliant response when Ino dragged her into the Konohan's own modest apartment.

The younger kunoichi let out a brief peal of laughter before releasing Temari's wrist and disappearing into the bathroom, leaving the wind-user to puzzle over what had been funny in the first place. Ino quickly returned and continued, "Don't worry, I've spent years around Tenten and Hinata, so I'm familiar with the sentiment. Now, shall I do the honors, or do you want to?"

Temari squared her shoulders and crossed her arms, feeling her face instinctively shift into and expression that she often used to intimidate others into submission. "Is this really necessary?"

"Absolutely!" Ino responded, taking advantage of Temari's surprise to invade her personal space.

As the boisterous blonde began to dab a bit of the unknown cream on her face, Temari felt her mind suddenly return along with a healthy dose of exasperation for the situation. "This seriously can't be the only reason why you brought me here." Despite her words and her sharp tone, the younger blonde continued to ignore her protests, and shifted to give her other eye the same treatment. It wasn't until Ino backed away to inspect her handiwork that Temari could see the shift in her demeanor; her face set in a neutral expression and her bright, blue orbs turned serious. The effect was rather startling, but it reminded her of a conversation she had had with Shikamaru sometime in the past. _'Ino may not always be the smartest shinobi when it comes to strategies, but when it comes to reading and influencing people... well let's just say that the Yamanaka clan isn't renowned for their skills as interrogators just because of their Shintenshin (Mind - Body Switch) technique.'_ Seeing this new side of Ino's personality, Temari finally felt like she understood his meaning.

As the silence between them began to stretch, Temari found herself instinctively responding to the unspoken challenge she found within the shrewd, blue orbs before her. No longer were they two women sharing a casual conversation, but two kunoichi measuring each other's resolve like two sand cats circling each other before a fight.

"So, I guess you already know about what happened, huh?" Ino asked, her voice low and calm. Temari kept her expression neutral while her mind analyzed the situation and her opponent. If there was ever a time to test her diplomatic abilities, she knew that now was it. After taking a second to consider Ino's question and think through her best angle of approach, she decided to keep her response vague.

"I know most of it. It was easy enough to piece together the parts that weren't communicated directly."

She was surprised, again, when Ino gave a low, feral chuckle in return. "Oh, honey, you need to do better than _that_. You think that I don't know that you and Shikamaru have been exchanging missives?" She leveled a knowing look at Temari's obvious distaste for the mocking use of the nickname. "Fine. If you're so set on playing, I'll play. What was 'communicated directly'?" Although the wind-user was mildly frustrated that she had been unable to curb Ino's questions, at the same time she felt a burgeoning respect for the other kunoichi. Still, she hesitated. She knew without a doubt that continuing their conversation would reopen emotional wounds that had yet to heal, and if the younger woman was unable to work through her pain, the entire mission could be jeopardized. However, as she continued to look into Ino's piercing gaze, Temari couldn't help but recognize something of herself in their depths. She knew that Shikamaru and Ino shared a connection that rivaled her own relationship with her brothers, and she also knew that if their roles were reversed, being denied such answers would be more damaging than the pain they would bring.

"'_Asuma executed the climbing silver. The knight will capture the enemy rook.'_" Temari carefully analyzed Ino's reaction; the slight widening of the eyes before her lids clenched shut, the haggard intake of air into lungs that forgot how to function, the hands that turned to fists in helpless anger at an event that she had been unable to affect. The Sunan tried to keep her mind focused on the present, on the younger kunoichi's responses, in order to keep herself from recalling how strikingly similar her own reaction had been two weeks earlier when she had read the words for the first time. Ino smiled sadly and finally turned away to put away her make up.

"What a dork. He would say something like that. What did you write back in your response?"

"What response?" Temari answered defensively as her emotional barriers slammed back into place; her voice once again turning cold. She was willing to share information that would help alleviate the younger blonde's worries for her teammate, but she would be damned before she'd give the shrewd kunoichi any more information than she needed. Her mood worsened when she saw another knowing smile grace the other's lips.

"Again, you're going to have to do better than that. Unless you're trying to tell me that you had nothing to do with the note that he's been carrying around in his pocket for the last week and a half?"

At the mention of the note, Temari felt her heart skip a beat as all the apprehension she had buried from her discussion with Shikamaru the previous night returned full force. When he hadn't mentioned their exchanges, she had tried to convince herself that he had misconstrued her ambiguous phrasing, or, even more likely, simply outright ignored the personal message that she had hidden within the body of the contents. _But if he knew..._

With her mind distracted from the conversation at hand, Temari blurted out her response without first considering her words, only barely retaining enough presence of thought to maintain a false air of casual indifference. "And how would I know anything about his habits from the last week and a half? I only sent an official missive from Suna to confirm our support for Konoha's counterattack." When she saw Ino's lips curve in a triumphant grin, she mentally admonished herself for allowing her attention to wander and falling prey to such a basic tactic.

"Ahh, so you _did_ send a response. Well I'm _so_ glad that Shikamaru can count on you for your _support_." Temari again regulated her facial expression in order to suppress the annoyed grimace that tried to dance across her face.

"If you're finished, I have better things to do than just stand here and satisfy your need for gossip." She made a move to pass the younger blonde, but stopped and raised an eyebrow when Ino shifted her body to block her path.

"That... wasn't the only reason I wanted to talk to you." Temari again grew cautious, her eyes narrowing in suspicion at the slight hesitation in Ino's voice, her body language communicating her apprehension as she began to rub her left elbow and biting her lower lip. _Kami, this girl is like a walking mood swing._ As if she made a decision, she suddenly pulled her shoulders back confidently, dropping her arm back to her side. "Temari-san, I know that you'll do almost anything to keep your village and us, as your teammates, safe. However," the blue eyes flickered back to meet her own, "I'm asking you to promise that you'll do your best keep yourself safe too."

Temari looked back into her eyes in open confusion, trying, and failing, to find the hidden driver to her request. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ino would never make such a personal appeal to her without some ulterior purpose; a trump card to Temari's emotional indifference.

Her mouth pulled into a thin line in realization.

"Ino, this better not be about Shikamaru," she said carefully.

The young kunoichi winced while Temari swore to herself, feeling her anger spike. "I just… knowing what happened yesterday and who you are… not to mention everything that's happened in Konoha recently… well, honestly I don't know what he would do if something were to happen to you, and-"

"I thank you for your input, Yamanka-san," she watched as Ino's eyes narrowed into slits at the formality, but she continued, "and your words will be considered. However, I'll have you remember that we are shinobi and, as such, we put our lives on the line each time we accept a mission. As a captain, I must be able to objectively-"

Although she saw it coming, Temari willed herself to remain still as Ino's palm struck her cheek a moment before the platinum blonde began speaking; the hissing anger in her voice a sharp contrast to Temari's emotionless drawl. "How _dare_ you say that to me, especially about _him_. You weren't there. You didn't see him walking around the village like he had lost his soul. You didn't see him chain smoking every second he could. And I _know_ that you didn't see him when he refused to let anyone see him cry because he believed that those tears would brand him a coward." Ino stopped to take a deep ragged breath before continuing in a softer voice that was still filled with a biting anger. "No, you didn't see any of it... but I know that you _know_, and I know that you understand, heartless bitch that you are. So you can take your 'objectivity'-"

"_Enough_." Temari felt her emotions roil inside her chest, but she stubbornly refused to let the slim blonde see the how much her outburst and her words were affecting her. She couldn't afford to succumb to her emotions; not on a mission, and especially not now when she finally had reached the heart of the issue. "Yamanaka-san," she began carefully, "I will let your previous insubordination slide, but if you raise your hand against me again, you'll find yourself flying back to Konoha in the middle of a tessen-induced sandstorm. Clear?" She could not help but feel a quick burst of selfish satisfaction when Ino winced in realization of her actions. "Do you have any idea why we go through emotional training?"

Once again, Ino's eyes flashed with anger. _Good. At least I know she's not going to start sulking on me._ "You can skip your lecture, Temari-_taichou_, I'm not in the mood to listen about how Sunan shinobi are _so_ much stronger than those of Konoha, and how we do not understand that sacrifice is inevitable in the shinobi lifestyle."

Temari continued to coolly stare at her, letting the silence fill the room until the younger kunoichi dropped her eyes, her animosity fading. Anger she would tolerate, but she would not let Ino hold onto her feelings of bitterness in risk of it evolving into some petty grudge. "If you're done, I'll continue. My point is that, while it may be true that sacrifice is inevitable in the life of a shinobi, if we allow ourselves to be distracted or overcome by our emotions, we only serve to weaken ourselves and belittle the faith that was entrusted to us." Temari stopped when Ino's eyes dropped to the floor in front of her and, by all appearances, searched the hard, packed sandstone for the answers that she so desperately needed.

"So, what? We're not allowed to mourn someone's death?" Ino interjected.

"Of course you're 'allowed'," Temari snapped back quickly before she stopped to take a breath and regain control of her temper. She always managed to forget how taxing it was to have these sorts of conversations. After a beat, she continued, "but if you stop to mourn a comrade at a time when there is still more to do, still more you _can_ do, you're giving up on the very thing for which they sacrificed their life; the underlying source of our strength and unity as shinobi."

Temari waited until Ino's eyes had lifted back up to meet her own before she answered the unspoken question. "Trust. The bonds that tie us together are all based on trust. Trust in the kages to assign the right teams for the right missions, trust in our teammates to never give up on each other, nor our objectives, and, most importantly, trust in ourselves and our decisions so that, when needed, our minds can stay clear from all distractions. Every mission, every choice we make is tinged with the knowledge that we have complete faith in our team and that they have the same trust in us and our abilities." She took a breath and thought back to that moment, only months before, when Naruto showed to her the true strength one could gain when fighting for something more than just a mission objective. It only added to the conviction in her voice and her eyes. "That being said, I would never think of promising that I won't risk my life on a mission. My Kazekage, my brothers, my village, and yes, even you and your crybaby teammate trust me to give everything that I can and I will not- no- I _can_ not fail. In the same way that I trust you to do the same." She waited a moment until Ino's eyes finally raised to once again meet her own and Temari found herself satisfied with the hard strength she saw shining through the unshed tears.

Having said what she needed to say, Temari turned to look out the window in order to gauge the hour from the light outside and bit back a small curse as she realized how little she had accomplished since leaving the dining room. _Kankuro, updates on the interrogations, Nara, debrief_. With her mind once again focused, she strode past Ino, reaching for the door before the younger blonde finally responded. "I know that you have to go, but- I want you to know that I will think hard on what you've said. You and I may not always see eye to eye, and we'll never completely agree on everything, but- I know that you're not as heartless as you act, and- I trust you too."

Temari kept her back turned to her teammate, but, understanding the greater meaning behind Ino's words, she felt a small smile grace her lips as she pulled the door open and disappeared into the darkness.

* * *

(1) : Sunan coffee is my imaginary version of Turkish coffee in the Narutoverse (and before anyone says anything, I imagine that, while Temari likes coffee, she would never drink so much that she would get addicted. Bad for missions.) Shakshouka is a typical middle eastern breakfast made of spiced, stewed tomatoes and topped with eggs. It's delicious. Because we know very little about Sunan culture, for the sake of this story, I'm going to roughly base it on what little I know about Israeli culture and then just fill in the blanks with my own imagination.

From what I have planned, things should more a little more quickly from here on in the story. I wanted to iron out the primary characters, give you just a little more information about the letter that Shikamaru's been carrying with him, a hint of NejiTen (it's not a focus of this fic, so don't expect much more), and establish my take on the Temari/Ino relationship.

Please read and review!


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